Goodness In Life
by chawk1993
Summary: *Clone Wars and RotS AU* Ahsoka is tried and later freed for crimes commited by her friend Barriss which leads to her departure from the Jedi Order. What if things took an unexpected turn and Padmé had arrived and managed to get her to stay? How would things change for Anakin and co with Ahsoka's decision to remain a Jedi?
1. Prologue

**A/N:** _Hi all! I don't normally do this but I've been on a roll lately when it comes to my Star Wars fics. I have a load of other fics I need to finish off but this one couldn't wait. This is an AU for the events that follow Clone Wars season 5 and season 6 and for Revenge of the Sith. This is my way of answering the AU question: what if Padmé had helped Anakin in pleading with Ahsoka not to leave the Jedi Order and instead of failing, it actually succeed and she stayed? Some of the events in the season 6 episodes An Old Friend, Rise of Clovis and Crisis of the Heart are referenced in the first chapter and other events of season 6 are either mentioned as to have happened or won't happen at all. Please bear in mind that I haven't actually seen Season 5 or 6 of the Clone Wars but I have read enough about the episodes to know want went on. Also, the events that help shape the Empire in the films won't happen at all but the characters from Rebels, the Original trilogy as well as the new films meaning the Sequel Trilogy will appear but their roles will be slightly more different to what you know.  
_

 _I hope you enjoy the prologue of Goodness in Life._

* * *

 **Goodness in Life**

* * *

 **Prologue**

* * *

Ahsoka stood with her back to Anakin, ready to depart the Jedi Order forever. Her hands were balled into fists at her sides to hide their shaking. She had declined the return of her Padawan braid from Anakin and had attempted to walk away from the one person who had believed her innocence. She was distraught and she knew Anakin was as well. It flowed through her via the Force like a cool breeze. They had been through a lot together in the time had they known one another. Now, she felt betrayed by the Jedi Council and by anyone who thought she was guilty.

For the last two years, Ahsoka had forged a strong bond with Anakin and with their troops, particularly Rex who made it no secret that he was fond of her. She was also close to Obi-Wan but even he seemed to have sidelined her when her 'guilt' had surfaced. She didn't hold anything against him. She knew he was only responding the way the council expected him to. It was the typical thing to do for someone as caught up in the council's bias views as Obi-Wan seemed to be.

" _Anakin! Ahsoka, wait!"_

Both Master and former Padawan turned to see none other then Padmé Amidala hurrying towards them. She appeared to be flustered as she skidded to a halt at Anakin's side.

"Senator?" Ahsoka said. She was surprised to see her. "What are you doing here?"

"I just saw Obi-Wan. He told me of your decision to leave the Order."

Ahsoka looked away, her eyes brimming with tears. "I have to leave, Padmé. They don't trust me. They thought I was capable of committing a crime I would _never_ commit." She struggled to keep the anguish and the hurt out of her tone.

Anakin and Padmé exchanged worried looks.

Instinctively, Padmé took Ahsoka's hand prompting the former Padawan to turn around. "Come with me," She then turned to look at Anakin. "You too."

Anakin didn't have much choice but to obey his wife's orders.

Neither Anakin nor Ahsoka protested as they followed Padmé away from the temple and towards an alternate route that lead them back towards the Senate Apartment Complex.

* * *

The walk back to Padmé's apartment was quiet as the senator led Ahsoka by the hand. Anakin lagged behind them but was able to keep his pace. Close enough to Ahsoka's ear he whispered, "You know something we don't. What is it?"

Ahsoka bit her lip as she shook her head.

Anakin wasn't sure what to say or do. He had never seen Ahsoka like this. As much as he wanted to comfort her, he knew he couldn't. He was already overly attached to her.

Then, it clicked.

That was what Obi-Wan and Yoda had been afraid of. His attachment issue was consuming him and particularly eating him alive. They had feared that this could drive him to the Dark Side of the Force.

The familiar sound of the door opening to Padmé's apartment pulled Anakin out of his thoughts. He followed his wife and former Padawan down to the living area and settled himself on one of the couches while Padmé sat beside him. Ahsoka sat opposite them, trying to keep as much distance between her and them as she could.

"Before you say anything, I wanted to say, I'm sorry for everything I have done wrong." Ahsoka said, her eyes falling to her feet.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Anakin said, his voice clearly emotional. "We all make mistakes. I've made my fair share of them."

"I know." Ahsoka said, her head still bowed.

Anakin and Padmé looked at each other. They had both detected something they had never heard before in Ahsoka's tone. Was it acknowledgement that was being hinted at? Or was it their imaginations? Whatever it was, Ahsoka clearly was uncomfortable with whatever she was about to share with them.

"You know something that you aren't sharing with us." Anakin said, his tone hard and commanding.

Ahsoka bit the inside of her cheek, tasting blood. She knew her cover was blown. "I know about your marriage."

Anakin felt his stomach drop.

Padmé bit her lip.

Looking over at his wife, Anakin could see that Padmé was surprisingly calm despite the lip biting.

"There's that look again." Ahsoka murmured.

Anakin and Padmé turned their gaze to Ahsoka.

"What look?" Anakin asked nervously.

" _That_ look. The one you and Padmé just exchanged."

"How long have you known?" Padmé asked gently before casting her husband with a look that told him to be quiet.

"I was suspicious during the Malevolence crisis. I had more suspicions during the Blue Shadow Virus crisis and then I heard some senators talking about a lone Jedi losing his lightsabre during the Senate Building Hostage Crisis. Now, I don't know about you, but I know very few Jedi, none in fact, that have a habit of losing their weapons." Ahsoka crossed her arms over her chest, looking rather pleased. No one could back Anakin this far into a corner and live to tell about it.

Anakin's shoulders slumped. He knew she had him. Like her, he didn't know any Jedi that lost their weapons. Apparently he was the only one. He scratched the back of his head. "Oh, you heard about that."

"Idiot." Ahsoka muttered.

A smirk crossed Anakin's face. "Only you would say that."

Ahsoka raised her eyebrows as she nodded.

The tension that had lingered in the room a moment ago was now gone.

"How long has this been going on?" Ahsoka asked, reclining back so that her back was against the back of the seat.

"Just on two and a bit years." Anakin said half-heartedly shrugging.

"And you _failed_ to tell me of all people?" Ahsoka pretended to be hurt.

"We had to, Ahsoka. Anakin didn't want to keep this from you." Padmé said in near desperation.

"I know you had to," Ahsoka said casting the senator with an apologetic look. "I understand how hard this must be for you both."

Anakin looked genuinely surprised. "You do?"

Ahsoka nodded. "I've seen the way you freak out every time Padmé becomes involved in one of our missions. You would risk everyone else's lives to save hers."

Anakin wasn't an idiot. He knew what she was referring to. "If you're referring to the Blue Shadow Virus incident then yeah, I did freak out because I wasn't about to lose you too."

Ahsoka was touched. She really was. Anakin had shown concern for her before but nothing like this. "It wasn't just the Blue Shadow Virus incident. Don't forget what happened on the Malevolence."

"You weren't even on the Malevolence. How could you possibly know…? Oh." Anakin's face fell.

"I could sense your feelings and emotions half a parsec off but good job in shielding yourself from Obi-Wan and Master Plo." Ahsoka could have gone further in her mock scolding but chose not to.

Padmé looked at Anakin but he couldn't bring himself to look at her.

"Please," Anakin begged Ahsoka. "Don't leave the Order. You're one of us. You're part of the team."

Ahsoka had to bite her tongue to stop a nasty retort from sliding out of her mouth. For a long agonizing moment, Ahsoka thought over what she knew of Anakin and Padmé's marriage and how this benefited them as well as her. She knew blackmailing Anakin was going to go down real well but she had to try.

"I'll stay," she said at last as she paused for dramatic effect. "If you fill me in on _everything_ I have been missing out on for the last two and a bit years."

Anakin's eyes narrowed into slits. "Are you emotionally blackmailing me?"

Ahsoka blinked, feigning innocence. "Me? Never." A smile then slid across her face. "Fine!" She raised her hands in defeat. "Yes. I'm blackmailing you. Happy now?"

"There. A little honesty never hurt anybody, now did it, Snips?" Anakin wrinkled his nose as he smirked in satisfaction.

Padmé rolled her eyes. This was going to be one long night. She sat and listened as her husband and young friend bickered over little things but she was sure of one thing. It was good to see them smiling and letting off a bit of steam.

"So, what now?" Ahsoka asked eagerly once the laughs had died down.

"Well," Anakin said scratching the back of his neck. "I know one thing." He looked over at Padmé who frowned. Anakin then turned back to Ahsoka. "This has to be kept a secret. No one can know."

Ahsoka nodded. She would have died for Anakin if she had to. "One question." She said holding up one finger and before folding her arms over her chest. "Does Master Obi-Wan know?"

Anakin licked his lips as he shook his head. "No, but I think he knows something's up. Whether he's pieced something together I can't tell. He's too difficult to read."

"Hmm," Ahsoka said pursing her lips. "Reminds me of someone else I know." She muttered.

"Ahsoka this is serious. You know what will happen if the council finds out." Anakin said as Padmé slid next to him.

Ahsoka didn't miss the protective look that quickly passed across Anakin's face as he wrapped an arm around Padmé but she chose to ignore it. "I know, master. But don't you think Obi-Wan should know?"

"No," Anakin said much too quickly. "He is too caught up in the ways of the Order. If he knows about this then all this secrecy will be for nothing."

"Not necessarily." Ahsoka said.

"What do you mean?" Padmé asked curiously.

"Is what you told me true?" Ahsoka asked Anakin. "About the whole Obi-Wan/Duchess of Mandalore thing?"

"Ah…" Anakin said trying to ignore the look of annoyance Padmé was giving him. "Yeah. You could say that."

"And you _failed_ to tell me? Anakin!" Padmé said, obviously disgusted, her annoyance still showing.

"Obi-Wan said he'd kill me if it got out." Anakin protested.

"Wait a second," Ahsoka said waving her hands, regaining her master's attention. "Didn't Satine die at Maul's hand?"

Anakin went wide-eyed. "Actually, no. She didn't." He blurted.

"What do you mean she didn't?" Padmé asked, suspiciously.

Anakin gulped. If there was one thing he hated it was lying to Padmé. She could read him like a holo-report. "All right!" he said raising his hands. "Satine faked her own death. Obi-Wan knew about it just to throw Maul off her scent."

"Where is she now?" Ahsoka asked.

Anakin shrugged. "Only Obi-Wan knows that and he won't even tell me. He had to appear like the mournful ex-lover so Maul wouldn't try anything else to get his revenge... again."

"You mean he knows where she is and he's not telling? That must be _really_ annoying for you."  
Ahsoka teased.

Anakin looked at her appalled. "Yes, that's what I said. Weren't you listening? Quit teasing me!"

Ahsoka rolled her eyes and groaned. "Can we get back to the original issue at hand?" Anakin looked at her somewhat blankly. "Your marriage." the Padawan elaborated.

"Oh, right."

Ahsoka held back another groan. "We need to keep this quiet so I am putting myself on the line."

"You don't need to Ahsoka. We don't expect you to." Padmé said gently.

"I know," Ahsoka said with a sincere nod. "I want to. You are both the closest thing to family that I have. I would not miss this for anything." She cast a look at Anakin. "No matter how forbidden."

Anakin and Padmé looked at her before looking at each other. Some part of them was glad that someone they both trusted was in on their secret. Ahsoka wasn't exactly the last person they wanted in the know but she wasn't about to go blabbing.

"So now what do we do?" Ahsoka asked.

"Nothing." Anakin said quickly.

Padmé and Ahsoka looked at him.

"What do you mean?" Padmé asked.

"Nothing changes, regardless if Ahsoka knows about us." Anakin clarified. "Life goes on as it would as if Ahsoka didn't know."

Padmé and Ahsoka looked at each other before nodding at Anakin in agreement.

Nothing was going to change but in a way, things were… simpler. Anakin felt some of the weight lift from his shoulders. The burden of having to hide his marriage for the last two years had taken its toll. Looking over at Padmé he could tell she was feeling the exact way but the burden was still heavy. Ahsoka was one of the most loyal people Anakin had ever met and there was no doubt in his mind that she could be trusted.

"Welcome to our little family." Anakin said with a smile.

"Ani." Padmé muttered nudging him in the arm with her elbow.

"Kidding… not really." Anakin said raising his hands in mock defeat.

Ahsoka felt her spirits rise. The day had been one of the hardest she had ever faced as a Jedi and there was going to be even harder days. She couldn't leave now. Anakin needed her more then ever and in a lot of ways, she needed him.

"I hope you'll have me." Ahsoka said biting her lip and rising to her feet.

Padmé stepped forward and rested a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder before pulling her in for a hug. "Of course. You're just as important to us as we are to you."

Ahsoka relaxed. She had become rather close to Padmé in the two years she had known her. They understood each other. They were willing to protect each other. They were also fiercely protective over Anakin.

As he watched his wife and young friend, Anakin found himself smiling. The council would consider the friendship between Anakin and Ahsoka 'illegal'. Heck, they considered almost everything Anakin did illegal. He was THAT loveable. Forcing his himself forward, Anakin found himself hugging his two favorite girls.

Ahsoka felt slightly unnerved by Anakin's gesture of affection. The only two people she had shown genuine affection for were Lux and Master Plo. Of course her relationship with Lux had had gone nowhere. She was just glad Anakin hadn't gotten wind of it. He would have teased her endlessly. Master Plo had always been the closest thing to a father she had ever known and leaving would end that. She couldn't have that.

Having always felt at ease with Anakin, Ahsoka was surprised at how quickly her nerves and uneasiness disappeared.

"Okay, you can both let me go now." Ahsoka said after a long peaceful moment.

Anakin and Padmé laughed as they released her.

"So you won't leave?" Anakin asked.

Ahsoka thought for a moment. "No," she shook her head. "As much as I now loathe the council and their decisions, I will only stay for your sakes. You both sacrificed yourselves and your careers for me. I cannot thank you both enough."

Anakin who now had his arms around Padmé exchanged looks with her. "You're family to us. We would do anything for you."

Ahsoka smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

"Why don't you stay with us tonight? We can fill you in a little more."

"I'd like that." Ahsoka said with a smile.

Anakin and Padmé returned the gesture.

"You know, I never thought I would actually say this, but I'm glad Ahsoka worked it out for herself." Anakin grinned at Padmé.

"Oi! Hi. Still here." Ahsoka protested, waving her arms madly at them.

Padmé laughed. _Like Master, like Padawan._ She thought shaking her head.

Despite the pain she had faced over the last couple of days, Ahsoka allowed herself to relax. While the council might no longer trust her, she knew that Anakin would support her in anything she decided to do for here on in. Despite the lack of blood ties, he was her big brother while she was his little sister.

Anyone that had worked with them in the past could see that and could deny it all they liked. They wouldn't have cared.

For the first time in a really long time, Ahsoka felt as if she was finally home.

"Oh! I nearly forgot." Anakin fished around inside his tunic pocket and pulled out something Ahsoka recognised as her silka beaded Padawan braid. He held it out to her.

Ahsoka stared at it for a moment before taking it and reattaching it to her lekku. "It felt odd not having it on." She admitted.

"It was odd for me not seeing you wear it." Anakin agreed.

Ahsoka gave him a thankful grin. " I don't normally say this, master, but thank you. Thank you to you both. For the countless time today."

"For what?"

"For saving me. If it wasn't for you and Padmé, I would have been dead."

All the fondness Anakin had for his young Padawan was beginning to overwhelm him. "I never had any doubts that you were framed, Ahsoka. I hope you know that."

Ahsoka nodded. "I know. I'm glad you I had you both on side."

Padmé and Anakin exchanged grateful looks.

"Can I add something to our little… agreement?"

"Sure," Anakin said. "Name it."

"No more 'couple' looks around me. Unless it is necessary."

"You have yourself a deal." Padmé laughed.

"I have something _I_ would like to add." Anakin said slowly.

 _Oh no,_ Ahsoka thought. _This can't be good._ "Go for it." She said instead.

"If you say anything to embarrass me in any way, I'll kill you."

Padmé elbowed Anakin in the ribs. He ignored the pain that was now coursing through his upper torso. "Ani." She mumbled. "Be nice."

"I'm just being truthful." Anakin argued.

"Yeah, ah-huh. _Too_ truthful." Ahsoka shook her head.

"Let's just get through tonight and see how things turn out." Padmé said.

"I'm good with that." Anakin said.

"Me too."

Anakin looked over at Ahsoka who obviously loved this new reality. He knew he should have been glad but a tiny little voice in his head told him otherwise. Choosing to ignore it, Anakin jumped into the conversation that Ahsoka and Padmé were having. He allowed his defensive barrier to fall as he so often did when he was home and allowed himself to just roll with it.

* * *

 _I hope you enjoyed that. The first chapter will published soon so in the meantime..._

 _To be Continued..._


	2. Ch 1: Clovis Issues and Lightsabre Parts

**A/N:** _Here's chapter 1. In Rebels, Ahsoka has white bladed lightsabres to show that is not a Jedi but nor is she a Sith. I always thought that was interesting but is never explained as to why she changed her lightsabre colour. We know she lost one of her weapons when she was on the run for Barriss' crimes, or at least that's what I heard so she would have had to build new ones. We also don't know what Ahsoka thought of Clovis. This is just my theory._

* * *

 **Chapter 01: Clovis Issues and Lightsabre Parts**

* * *

As the next couple of months came and went, Ahsoka found herself being pulled deeper and deeper into Anakin and Padmé's secret private lives. She enjoyed listening to their stories of their love and how they had managed to keep it a secret. While the stories were often emotional and mushy, Ahsoka felt it gave her bragging rights to pick on Anakin every chance she got.

Sitting on her bed in her quarters up at the Jedi Temple, Ahsoka felt at peace. For the last few weeks, she had kept herself busy with what she called 'suck up' jobs from Master Yoda which was basically teaching a class (or two) of younglings. She didn't mind but she wished Yoda wasn't sucking up to her. She had received apology after apology from the council but she wasn't about to forgive them for what they believed. This belief had bought her closer to Anakin, who was still reeling from her near departure. His own beliefs about the Council had gone down the drain.

Now, Ahsoka sat staring at a load of lightsabre parts sitting in front of her, thoughtfully. _What kind should I build?_ She thought. Her thoughts were interrupted at the sound of knocking on the outer wall of her quarters.

"Come in." she called.

The door to the room slid up to reveal a rather rattled looking Anakin.

"What happened to you?" Ahsoka snorted in amusement as Anakin entered the room, sitting on the edge of her bed, allowing the door to slide shut.

Anakin looked at her, unhappily. "Do you know the name Rush Clovis?" he asked.

"Yes," Ahsoka said slowly as she picked up a lightsabre part. "Why do you ask?"

"He's dead."

The lightsabre part fell out of Ahsoka's hand. "He's dead?"

A look of shame crossed Anakin face as he nodded.

"How do you know that?"

"I was there."

Ahsoka thought for a moment. "The issue with the Banking Clan. What did you do?" she said accusingly.

"I _didn't do_ anything." Anakin sighed in an attempt to keep his temper under control. "You heard what happened with Clovis from Padmé, I assume?"

"Yes. I received a call from her after you choked the guy for attempting to touch her." The calm demeanor on Ahsoka's face had vanished and a look of disgust had taken its place. "She told me that you were taking a break from each other. She even told me what she told you."

Anakin raised his eyebrows, ready to take her abuse.

"She said that your marriage was based on nothing more then secrets and lies. She even said she was scared of you."

Ahsoka pressed her lips together; her hands had curled into fists to hide the shaking of her fury at her master's ultimate stupidity.

"You're right. I was stupid. But I didn't kill him."

"You didn't?" Ahsoka's eyebrows shot up her forehead.

"No! As much as I hated the guy, I'd never kill him. I choked him to scare him away from my wife."

Ahsoka groaned and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "You stuffed up. Big time. Padmé will never go back to you now."

Anakin bit his lip. "Actually, we're back together. There was an incident where a balcony collapsed with Padmé and Clovis on it. Clovis sacrificed himself for Padmé."

"He allowed himself to die?"

Anakin nodded.

A look of surprise crossed Ahsoka's face. "Whoa."

"Hmm." Anakin nodded. "He really did love her. That was his final act of devotion to her."

"I've only heard things about the guy but I have to admit, I wasn't a fan from all the things I've heard." Ahsoka told him, still allowing her disgust shine through her surprise.

"The guy was slimy all right." Anakin agreed.

"So, when did Padmé take you back?" Ahsoka asked, pushing her lightsabre parts aside.

"After they recovered Clovis' body." Anakin looked at Ahsoka who was still furious at him. "I know I screwed up. I was only trying to protect Padmé."

"And look where it got you!" Ahsoka fumed. "You nearly lost your wife. Your marriage. Your career. It better not happen again."

"You know it won't. Padmé said she would only take me back if I got a hold on my temper."

Ahsoka scoffed. "And your protective streak. If it was me in her place, I would be setting ground rules."

"I want to be a good husband."

Ahsoka felt her anger drain away as remorse flickered across Anakin's face. Reaching over she patted Anakin on the arm. "I know you do," she said gently. "I know Padmé would agree with me."

A small smile appeared on Anakin's lips. "Is that teasing I hear?"

Ahsoka feigned her innocence. "Maybe."

Anakin chuckled before shaking his head. "Come on you. I think its time we headed to the apartment."

Ahsoka nodded as she shoved her lightsabre parts into the pockets of her tunic.

"What were you doing with those lightsabre parts by the way?" Anakin asked curiously.

"It's a surprise. Haven't finished yet." Ahsoka said as she got to her feet.

"I see that." Anakin frowned.

"Come on. We don't want to keep Padmé waiting." Ahsoka beamed as she headed out the door.

Anakin watched her, dazed for a moment before allowing a smug smile to cross his face as he followed her from the room.

* * *

Evening was just setting in by the time Anakin and Ahsoka reached Padmé's apartment. The smell of Padmé's cooking filled the air.

"I didn't know Padmé could cook." Ahsoka said as she sniffed the air.

"Oh yeah. That's one of the things I love about her." Anakin said as the door slid shut behind him.

"Welcome home Master Ani." C-3PO said as he waddled around the corner. "Oh, ah, hello Miss Ahsoka."

"Hi 3PO." Ahsoka smiled. "Is Padmé here?"

The words sounded dumb coming from her mouth. She knew that Padmé was home by the smell.

"Yes, right this way." C-3PO turned around, leading Ahsoka and Anakin to the small kitchen area.

"Mistress Padmé, you have guests." 3PO said.

Padmé swung around, her tied back hair swinging with her. Her face was covered in flour. "Ani, Ahsoka." She said with a smile.

"Hey Padmé." Ahsoka said as she entered the kitchen to hug the senator. She was also mindful of the tongs in Padmé's hand. "I didn't know you could cook."

"Yes, yes. I use to enjoy cooking with my mother when I was young. You're just in time. I made extra. Especially with the appetite this one has." Padmé said as she jabbed her tongs in Anakin's direction.

"How is that a bad thing?" Anakin protested as Padmé picked a few a bowls up from the counter and carried them over to the table. "I train hard and it makes me hungry."

Ahsoka snorted as she helped Padmé carry the food out to the table. "Says the guy who nearly burnt the campsite down during our second campaign on Christopsis."

"I thought I told you never to speak of that." Anakin said teasingly as he helped himself to the food as Padmé sat down opposite him.

"You never said that." Ahsoka said.

"I did."

"No, you didn't."

"Okay." Padmé held up her hand to stop the argument in its tracks. No one was going to be arguing at her dinner table. "Enough!"

Ahsoka and Anakin immediately went quiet. "Sorry." They chorused.

Padmé held back a giggle. To see her husband and young friend getting along was a good thing to watch.

"How did your abuse session go?"

Anakin's fork fell out of his hand. "Really? That's what you're calling it?"

Ahsoka snorted as she covered her mouth to prevent a laugh escaping.

Padmé scowled at her husband before going back to her food. "I was thinking like Ahsoka."

"Of course you were."

"I'm actually proud of myself." Ahsoka said half-heartedly

Anakin looked up at her, his food halfway to his mouth.

"What do you mean?" Padmé asked.

"I've never led an argument since becoming Anakin's Padawan but now, I've been given the right to."

Anakin groaned, shaking his head. "Can we _not_ talk about that now?"

Ahsoka and Padmé looked at him before going back to their food.

"Thank you, Ahsoka." Padmé said after the moment long silence had become too uncomfortable.

"For what?" Ahsoka asked as she pushed away her empty plate. "I didn't do anything."

"You did. You were there when I needed someone to talk to about Ani." Padmé said.

"Oh, ah, no problem I guess." Ahsoka frowned. She looked over at Anakin who was attempting not to say anything inappropriate. "From the Padawan to the wife, I think we can help each other a bit more often." Ahsoka added smugly.

Anakin snorted as he bowed his head.

Padmé grinned. "I'm glad we can come to an arrangement." She rose from her chair with Anakin and Ahsoka doing the same.

Walking around the table, Ahsoka gave Padmé a tight hug. "Thank you for dinner."

"It was an honor to have you here, Ahsoka. Remember, you're a part of our little family now. You're welcome here anytime."

Ahsoka smiled and gave Padmé one last hug. "The Jedi Knight, the Senator and the Jedi Padawan. Nice combination if I do say so myself."

Padmé chuckled. Anakin shook his head, a smile forming on his face. He shot Ahsoka a look that clearly said 'suck up'.

"Come on, Snips. I'll walk you back to the Temple." Anakin said as he guided his Padawan towards the door. As he pushed Ahsoka further towards the exit, he peered over his shoulder. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Don't rush. Take your time." Padmé called.

* * *

Out in the corridor, Ahsoka and Anakin took their time as they headed towards the Temple.

"That was fun." Ahsoka remarked cheerfully.

"It was more fun for you then it was for me. We didn't even mention the whole Clovis issue." Anakin said.

"It was mentioned." Ahsoka said.

"Yeah, _in_ directly."

"Will you just relax? We had fun didn't we? It's better then being out on a battlefield and watching your clones get slaughtered, that's for sure."

Anakin knew he should have reprimanded her for her comment but couldn't bring himself to do so. She was right. They had had fun even if Ahsoka and Padmé had constantly embarrassed him.

"You know what? You're right. I did have fun. In fact, I don't remember the last time when I had that much fun."

Ahsoka smiled. "Well, get use to it, Skyguy. I'm stickin' around."

Anakin grinned and wrapped an arm around Ahsoka's shoulders. "I wouldn't have any other way, Snips."

* * *

Ten minutes later, the duo was standing outside Ahsoka's chamber door.

"Goodnight Master." Ahsoka said as the door slid up.

"Goodnight Ahsoka." Anakin said as he turned to walk away.

"Anakin." Ahsoka called when Anakin was halfway down the hallway.

Anakin turned.

"Thanks."

Anakin nodded before disappearing down the hallway.

Smiling to herself, Ahsoka slipped into her chambers allowing the door to slide shut.

* * *

A week after her dinner with Anakin and Padmé, Ahsoka felt happier then she ever had. She was glad that Anakin and Padmé had let her into their little world known as marriage. A week was also enough time for Ahsoka to construct her new lightsabres.

Sitting cross-legged on her bed, she clicked the final piece into place on her second weapon. She smiled at the result. Closing her eyes, she searched for Anakin's presence in the Force. She found him in the last spot she'd thought he'd be: one of Master Yoda's classrooms. Judging by what she could sense, he was alone. Smirking to herself, she clipped her new weapons to her belt and jumped off the bed being mindful not to trip over the things on the floor.

She practically jumped out the door as it slid up and bolted down the corridor in search of her Master.

* * *

Anakin stood with his back to the door of the vacant training room. He took a deep breath and exhaled as he meditated. He had taught himself a few techniques to get a hold on his temper. He had promised Padmé that he would keep his under control. He knew that if he broke Padmé's heart again, he would never hear the end of it from Ahsoka. That he wasn't prepared to do. Padmé had been right in a way. Their marriage was based on secrets and lies but they were working through their issues with Ahsoka at the helm. Having almost lost his cheeky little Padawan had made Anakin realise that love wasn't worth losing. He had pretty much come close to losing everyone he loved because he had done something incredibly stupid.

He wasn't going to lose his wife to some other man, like he had almost lost her to his now dead rival. While Clovis had agreed that the best man won out, Anakin couldn't help but blame himself for Clovis' suicide if it could be described as that. No, it wasn't a suicide. It was a sacrifice for the woman that Clovis had always loved.

Anakin found himself opening his eyes and turning around to see Ahsoka standing in the doorway.

"Snips." He said, surprised. "What are you doing here? How'd you find me?"

Ahsoka smiled as she entered the room. "The Force. How else? I came to show you what I've been working on."

Anakin turned to face her just as she pulled her lightsabres from her belt and handed one of them to him. When he looked at her questioningly, she explained.

"I wanted you to be the first to see them."

Anakin pursed his lips as he examined the hilt on the weapon Ahsoka had given him. "Interesting." He turned the weapon over in his hands. "You know, I could very well kill you with these."

Ahsoka snorted. "You? Killing me with my own weapons? Hmm…" She shook her head. "Not your type of thing."

Anakin looked up at her, a teasing grin sliding easily across his face. "You wanna bet?"

Ahsoka smirked as Anakin handed her back the first weapon and took the second from her.

"A curved hilt?" Anakin asked in wonderment.

Ahsoka shrugged. "I needed a change."

"You know what this reminds me of?"

Ahsoka looked at him blankly.

"Dooku's lightsabre."

Ahsoka smiled. "Ah, but mine in unique. Activate it."

Anakin gave her an uncertain look before doing as she had instructed. His eyes widened as the weapon in his hand sprung to life. "No way! White blades? I thought white kyber crystals were things of legend."

Ahsoka shook her head as Anakin deactivated the weapon and gave it back to her. "I did some research into different coloured crystals while you were dealing with the whole Clovis thing. I figured, if Master Windu can have a purple blade, why can't I have something different too? Besides, I'm tired of all the Jedi rules. I hate the fact that you can either have a blue weapon or a green weapon with Master Windu's weapon being the only exception. Damn that I say."

Anakin chuckled. "I taught you well, little one."

"Indeed you did. Can I ask one thing though?"

"Sure, anything."

"Don't refer to me as 'little one'. I feel like a baby when you call me that."

Anakin smiled proudly at her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Fair enough. You still keep 'Snips' though."

"I didn't expect that to go away anytime soon, besides, you'll always be 'Skyguy'."

"Thought so. Now, come on. Let's go show _Senator Amidala_ what you've created."

Ahsoka smirked at the way Anakin wrinkled his nose in disgust at the displeasure of having to refer to Padmé formally. She lightly punched him the shoulder as a show of support.

A little known fact about the Jedi Temple and just about every room in the Senate building is that there were hundreds of security cameras recording holo footage in case of any mishaps or emergencies that might occur. Anakin had learned very early on not to mention anything private when in the two locations as the information would be used against him if anyone tried to frame or blackmail him into anything. Not that it would happen but you just didn't know.

Anakin guided Ahsoka out of the room and down the hallways of the Temple. As it was reaching evening, the place was incredibly quiet.

"Whoa, so much for being in the middle of a war. The place is deserted. I've never seen the place so empty." Ahsoka said looking around with unease.

Anakin nodded in agreement. "Agreed. Come on. Let's get moving."

With that, the duo quickened their stride to get away from the eeriness.

* * *

"Well, they are certainly… different." Padmé said as she examined Ahsoka's new lightsabres. Pressing the button to activate the blade of one of them, Padmé was surprised at the colour. "White crystals?"

"I thought the same thing," Anakin said. "When she showed me."

Padmé deactivated the blade and handed the weapons back to Ahsoka.

"You like them?" Ahsoka asked somewhat nervously.

Padmé nodded. "After everything you have been through I certainly don't blame you for wanting to make changes."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Ahsoka said as she clipped her lightsabres back to her belt.

"For what its worth, they seem lighter then Anakin's." Padmé gave Anakin a look that made him cringe.

"That was one time. You've never let me live that down!" Anakin argued.

"Wait, are you referring to the incident during the Senate Hostage Crisis?" Ahsoka asked in wonderment.

Anakin groaned, obviously not wanting to relive that moment.

"Yes, that is _exactly_ what I was referring to." Padmé said in an attempt to make her husband extremely uncomfortable.

"Here we go." Anakin muttered.

"Yes, I _heard_ about that. Something about a lone Jedi with a missing lighsabre which somehow ended up in your hands, Padmé."

Anakin wanted to say something to make the situation sound less complicated but found he didn't know how so he decided, against his better judgment, to remain silent.

"I don't know about you, Senator but I know only one Jedi that has never been known to lose or to have had their lightsabre destroyed _while_ in combat."

"Oh you're now you're using what happened in my final days as a Padawan against me. Fantastic." Anakin was far from happy. "How do you even know about that?"

Ahsoka and Padmé exchanged cheeky looks. There was nothing more enjoyable then watching Anakin squirm under their teasing and prodding.

"News travels first amongst the younglings or at least those that idolize you." Ahsoka stated.

"Like you, my dear Padawan?" Anakin prompted with a grin.

Ahsoka thought about it for a moment. "I wouldn't say I _idolized_ you per se, I was more…" Ahsoka thought about what word would be more appropriate. "Intrigued then anything else. Interested in how you handled things."

"Ahsoka?" said Padmé.

"Hmm?"

"There's one thing you've never told us."

"Oh?"

Padmé and Anakin exchanged looks. It took Ahsoka a moment to realize that they were thinking the same thing.

"What was your reaction when Master Yoda told you that you were being assigned as my Padawan?" Anakin asked.

Ahsoka blinked. No one had ever asked her that before. The only who really knew the answer to that was Master Yoda.

Before the war had began, Ahsoka had often wondered what it would be like to be assigned to a Jedi Knight as their Padawan. She had believed that she would be assigned to Plo Koon due to her connection to him but it had come as a surprise when Yoda had pulled her aside one day and told that her that she was old enough to graduate to the rank of Padawan and that her master would be none other then the newly knighted Anakin Skywalker.

While it had been a surprise, Ahsoka had known not to be disappointed. While Plo Koon was the closest thing to a father she had ever had, at the time she had no idea of what was in store for her as Anakin's Padawan. As time wore on, she came very familiar with what it was like serving under him.

"I was excited but the same time, I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew you had a reputation for reckless and carelessness but over time I came to realize it was not as bad as I thought it was going to be." She looked at her two friends to find that they were at peace just listening to her story.

"I never knew you felt that way about me, Snips." Anakin teased.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes and pursed her lips. "You know, I _could_ have been assigned to Obi-Wan."

"Yes," Anakin said with a nod as he slipped his organic hand into Padmé's. "But I remember telling you that you never would have made it as Obi-Wan's Padawan."

Padmé rested her head on Anakin's shoulder.

"You did." Ahsoka said unable to keep the smile from her face.

"Yes, but that was because Qui-Gon's dying wish was for him to train me."

"And look at that turned out. Reckless and stupid."

Padmé smiled into Anakin's shoulder. Despite how annoying it was, Anakin and Ahsoka's bickering made her feel at ease.

"I taught you well, Ahsoka."

"You certainly did, Ani." Padmé said lifting her head.

"I had better go. I'll never hear the end of it from Master Fisto if I'm not back in my room soon. Thanks again for approving of my weapons."

"Don't mention it, you'd do the same for me," Anakin said with a smile. "Not that I'd lose my weapon again."

Ahsoka gave him a hard stare before waving and heading towards the door and slipping out.

Once Ahsoka was completely out of earshot, Anakin pulled Padmé to him causing her to giggle.

"You're in a good mood."

"Because I have you." He leaned in to kiss her forehead.

"No, I don't think that's it."

"Oh?"

"I think Ahsoka's getting to you."

"Getting to me?" Anakin laughed. "What does that even mean?"

"What I mean is," Padmé said as Anakin's arms wrapped tighter around her. "You've been happier since we stopped her from leaving the Order."

"'We'? Don't you mean 'you'? I tried to stop her but like normal she didn't listen to me."

"No," Padmé shook her head. "We. You were the reason she stayed. She loves you like a brother."

"And I love her like a little sister."

"See, you do have a heart." Padmé teased.

"I never said I didn't." Anakin said as Padmé pulled away from him and headed over to the closest couch. "What makes you say that?"

Padmé shrugged. "Ahsoka's a lot like you, you know."

"I'm aware," Anakin said as he dumped himself next to her. "I wish she wasn't. I see _way_ too much of myself in her."

Padmé nodded. "I see your determination. Your willingness to do right by everyone as rubbed off on her too."

Anakin thought about this. He had seen a massive change in Ahsoka. She had become more responsible, less cocky and was willing to break the rules, only if the circumstances were grave. He, on the other hand, broke the rules all the time. No wonder the council was wary of him. He understood that now.

"You're right." He said leaning over to kiss her forehead again before standing up.

Padmé smiled as she watched him get up. "Where're you going?"

"I've got a few things I need to do for Obi-Wan. I'll be as quick as I can." He leaned down to kiss her properly.

"Miss you already." Padmé called after him. She smiled as she heard Anakin chuckle as he headed out of the apartment.

* * *

Anakin's good mood was something that Obi-Wan hadn't expected. He had expected his longtime best friend to be moody. Obi-Wan knew that Anakin was still blaming himself for Clovis' demise. He knew Anakin and Clovis had had a mutual dislike of each other but he had heard rumors that Anakin had tried to kill the guy, which had lead to Senator Amidala's attempt in keeping her distance from him.

"All right Anakin," Obi-Wan said with a sigh as Anakin's smile became more and more infectious. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Anakin said. "I'm just in a good mood."

Obi-Wan arched a ginger eyebrow. "During this war, the only times I have ever seen you in a good mood is when you're destroying droids, bonding with Ahsoka or with Senator Amidala."

"Don't forget tinkering." Anakin added.

"That too. Come on. Out with it."

Anakin bit his lip. Obi-Wan was making him feel like a child again when the adults were supposed to be intimidating. "Alright! Geez." Anakin exclaimed. "Ahsoka showed me what she was working on."

"Oh?"

"She's recreated her lightsabres."

Obi-Wan looked genuinely surprised. "That what she was working on?"

"Yeah. I knew about it but I never thought she'd actually go through with it."

"Why? What kind did she make?"

"She made white bladed lightsabres. Is that strange to you?"

Obi-Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully. "No, I suppose not. Master Windu has a purple bladed weapon. I don't see why Ahsoka can't have something different."

"The council's opinion of her really did a number on her, Obi-Wan." Anakin said in an attempt to dispel memories of those couple of awful days.

"I don't blame her for wanting a change." Obi-Wan said catching Anakin off guard.

"Wait, what?"

"I said…"

"I know what you said," Anakin said cutting him off. "It's just what you said didn't sound like you at all. I thought you'd side with the council after what happened."

"I am only one man, Anakin. Just because the council says something, doesn't mean we all have to agree on it."

"Majority votes rule all, right?"

"Yes, I guess you could say that. The point is Anakin is that you stuck by Ahsoka when no one else did. You had faith in her and that helped get her through. While I might be on the council, I think you should make your own mind up on things that concern yourself and Ahsoka."

Anakin knew he had a point. "You're right. Despite the fact that council detests Ahsoka and I, we won't let them stand in our way."

"I'm glad," Obi-Wan said a smile Anakin would have thought looked proud. "Just be Anakin Skywalker. Not someone else."

"I intend on remaining myself, Obi-Wan. Don't worry."

"Good, I'm glad. I don't think Ahsoka would want to be around you if you changed too much."

"I wouldn't want to be around myself either."

Anakin and Obi-Wan shared a smile.

"I'm glad," Obi-Wan nodded, patting his former Padawan on the shoulder. "You should be glad that Ahsoka is taking some pleasure in annoying the council."

"I never said I approved of that." Anakin scoffed.

"In a way, you did." Obi-Wan chuckled. "You approved of your Padawan reconstructing her lightsabres to something that goes against council protocol."

"I thought you were on Ahsoka's side." Anakin argued.

"Oh I am," Obi-Wan chuckled. "Like I have said, I do not always agree with the council."

Anakin looked away, rolling his eyes. As much as he idolized Obi-Wan, he sometimes thought his old master had become way too cryptic for his own liking.

"You didn't appear that way when the council expelled Ahsoka."

Obi-Wan clenched his jaw. This was what he had been waiting for. He knew Anakin was going to rip into him at some point but he hasn't known when… until now. "You know I had to know all the facts."

"And you chose the council." Anakin said bitterly.

Obi-Wan sighed as Anakin angrily looked away. He knew Anakin would get over it, eventually.

* * *

 _I hope you enjoyed chapter 1. I should have chapters 2 and 3 up soon. I also have to write the next chapter of Separated by War as well so the updates might be delayed a bit._

 _To be Continued..._


	3. Ch 2: Into the Outer Rim

_**A/N:** Thank to all who reviewed the first two chapters of Goodness in Life. I love getting feedback on everything I write so keep it up. I noticed in one review that someone mentioned that the Force helps choose a Jedi's lightsabre colour and that it was noted in Clone Wars season 5. Please remember what I mentioned. I have NOT seen Clone Wars season 5 yet. I do intend to watch it but not at the moment. Thinking back on it, it was stated in Rebels indirectly as Ezra was gifted a kyber crystal for his lightsabre/blaster hybrid and you didn't find out what colour it was until AFTER he'd finished constructing the weapon. So please consider this little issue an slight AU for season 5. _

_Another reviewer asked whether Ahsoka would be in a relationship in this story and I am pleased to say, she will be but that won't be until later and I think a lot of Clone Wars fans who are reading this will be pleased as to who she is linked with. I'll leave you guessing for now._

 _Also, since this story is an AU of Revenge of the Sith, just a little bit of a heads up, Anakin won't have the vision/dream he had of Padmé's death and there a few characters that die in the films that won't be dead in this. I forgot to mention that before. One you already know of: Satine. Also, Ventress is alive in this too. For anyone that has read or has read the basic plot of the novel Dark Disciple will know Ventress dies._

 _One final thing, this chapter introduces two characters Rebels fans will be familiar. One is seen on screen and one is seen various scenes in Episode I: The Phantom Menace but is referenced throughout Rebels. Enjoy this chapter of Goodness In Life._

* * *

 **Chapter 02: Into the Outer Rim**

* * *

As the next few months passed by, Anakin felt a lot freer then what he had been use to. He had become more responsible, something he had learned from Ahsoka. He had become a model friend to Obi-Wan, an even more respected mentor to Ahsoka and a devoted husband to Padmé, which was something Ahsoka often teasing him about.

Things came to a halt when he received a call from Obi-Wan telling him that he was needed in the Outer Rim. Despite his reluctance, Padmé had encouraged him to go.

"You sure you wanna do this, Snips?" Anakin asked as he, Padmé and Ahsoka hurried down the steps of the entrance to the villa in Naboo's lake country.

"How many times do I have to say it?" Ahsoka huffed for what must have been the one-hundredth time in the last half hour. "If I didn't want to do it, I would have said so."

The trio stopped in their walk as Anakin caught the look of sheer annoyance on his usual happy-go-lucky Padawan's face.

"Alright. I trust you'll do me proud."

Ahsoka snorted. "Is there any doubt that I won't?" Ahsoka asked as Anakin gave her a tight hug.

Anakin fixed her with an uncertain grin. "Your optimistic approach to life is certainly not what I imagined when Master Yoda assigned you to me."

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes at him but didn't fight back.

Turning to Padmé, Anakin could see she was disappointed that he had to leave her and Ahsoka.

"Hey," he said gently, lifting her chin up so she was looking at him. "I'll be back, I promise. You probably won't even realize I'm gone with Ahsoka around."

From where she was standing, Ahsoka frowned.

Padmé gave her husband a watery smile before reaching up to kiss him. "Be careful." She whispered.

Anakin smiled into her shoulder as he hugged her tightly. "You know I will."

R2-D2 rolled up behind Ahsoka and gently nudged her leg prompting her to crouch down to his level.

"Of course you'll be careful," Ahsoka said patting R2's dome. "Because Artooey doesn't wanna be dragging your body home, do ya, buddy?"

R2 beeped in agreement.

"Do be careful out there Master Ani," C-3PO said sincerely. "We all want you to come home safety."

"Thanks 3PO. I wouldn't leave my girls hanging, now would I?" Anakin said looking at Padmé with a smile that she returned.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "Speak for yourself." She muttered.

Padmé peered over her shoulder, giving Ahsoka an affectionate smile. She then reached back and grabbed Ahsoka's hand, pulling her towards her and Anakin.

"Come here, both of you."

Ahsoka knew she couldn't argue with Anakin or Padmé so she stepped forward as Anakin wrapped her and Padmé in a group hug.

Despite being a Jedi, Ahsoka didn't feel grossed out by Anakin's genuine affection. Being the only person close to Anakin that knew of his marriage to Padmé, Ahsoka felt more flattered then she thought she would have been. The last couple of years had been fun in a matter of speaking. If anything, Ahsoka being in on Anakin's secret had only made her closer to him. He seemed to appreciate that he now had someone to talk to about it. He knew Ahsoka would listen and be able to advise him if she knew how. In return, she showed him ultimate loyalty and trust; which was something he was thankful for.

"Alright, I gotta go before Obi-Wan begins a search for me." Giving Padmé one last kiss and Ahsoka one last hug, Anakin pulled away from them and turned to R2. "Ready for a space battle buddy?"

R2 beeped happily and followed Anakin as he made his way through the garden and towards the private land strip where he'd left his starfighter.

Once Anakin was out of earshot, Ahsoka turned to Padmé. "You didn't tell him?"

Padmé looked a little guilty as she shook her head.

"Why didn't you?" Ahsoka frowned.

"I didn't want him to worry. If he knew it would have given him more reason to stay and you know what he's like. Once he'd made his mind up, that's it." Padmé looked at Ahsoka pleadingly.

Ahsoka pursed her lips as she sighed. "Unfortunately, I'm in complete agreement." She placed a hand over Padmé's stomach as if to comfort the being within. Padmé sub-consciously placed a hand over Ahsoka's as the final beeps of R2 disappeared into space.

* * *

Obi-Wan had always been able to detect Anakin's reluctance so it came as no surprise to him as Anakin sulked at the controls of what he dubbed the Twilight 2.0.

You alright Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked in an attempt to sound cheerful.

Anakin's head snapped in his direction. "Yeah, fine. Why?"

"Oh, its just," Obi-Wan licked his lips. "You're quiet and that's not like you."

Anakin bowed his head, thinking carefully of what he was going to say next.

"Not happy about Ahsoka not coming along?" Obi-Wan guessed.

Anakin shrugged. "A little. I hate leaving her behind."

"I know but this is a mission that can be accomplished with just you and I."

Anakin bit the inside of his mouth to keep a retort from escaping. There were times where Obi-Wan could be really frustrating to be around. Anakin had often wondered what would happen if Obi-Wan had been in on his little secret but he hadn't gotten as far as to think what his reaction might be. Honestly, he was little frightened as to how Obi-Wan might react.

"This mission might have done Ahsoka some good, you know. Going up against Grievous. Kicking Dooku where it hurts. Now I understand why Ventress jumped ship."

Obi-Wan frowned as he smiled at Anakin. "I quite agree with you. Ahsoka would have made a fine addition to this mission but I think this mission will do _you_ some good."

"How do you mean?"

"It might ease your mind a little. I know you've been stressed as of late."

"I don't know what you mean."

"You know very well what I'm talking about, Anakin." Obi-Wan said.

Anakin didn't reply. He knew Obi-Wan was referring to the Council's distrust of him and Ahsoka.

Obi-Wan knew better then to breach the subject. It was painful just to watch Anakin and Ahsoka have to go through the agony of the council not trusting them. What made matters even more awkward was that Chancellor Palpatine had insisted that Anakin have a place on the Jedi Council. While the council were all but against the idea, they had allowed it because they knew they'd never hear the end of it. Ahsoka had said it was a ploy to suck up to him for disgracing her but Anakin hadn't been so sure and Obi-Wan knew the reason why but didn't say that he knew.

"Where is Ahsoka by the way?" Obi-Wan asked, wanting to get off topic.

"I left her the very capable hands of Senator Amidala." Anakin said allowing himself to smile.

"May I ask why?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin swallowed. He wasn't sure how to respond. "She wanted to get her theory study finished. Can I ask you a question?"

"Anakin, you have not asked me that since you were a child. Please, ask away."

"How long will this mission be?"

"Not sure. You know how missions are. They could be hours long, days long, weeks even. At most, a few months. Why do you ask?"

Anakin swallowed before shaking his head. "No reason."

Obi-Wan observed him for a moment before returning to looking out the view screen.

* * *

A few weeks past and Ahsoka had settled into the goal that Anakin had set for her: looking after Padmé. While the normally happy-go-lucky Padawan was more then happy to help her friends, she was still unhappy with the fact that Padmé hadn't told Anakin of her pregnancy.

"I still don't think keeping this from Anakin is going to do any good." Ahsoka said as she and Padmé walked arm-in-arm through a small marketplace on the outskirts of one of the smaller towns on Coruscant.

"I know but like I said, he needs to be battle focused and whatever else Jedi need to be in combat." Padmé smiled a little.

"You really are glowing." Ahsoka giggled.

Padmé issued her young companion a smile. "Is that a baby brain joke?" she teased.

"Hardly." Ahsoka snorted in amusement.

"So, who on your side knows?"

Padmé didn't have to ask to know which of her allies knew of her secret pregnancy. "Just Senator Organa and his wife, Queen Breha."

"Queen?" Ahsoka echoed. "Then, shouldn't Senator Organa be king?"

Padmé laughed. "No. That's not how royalty works on Alderaan. You see, Bail married into the royal family so when Breha became queen, Bail took on the title of 'Viceroy' which he doesn't use very often, I might add."

Ahsoka bit her lip. "I understand now why Anakin doesn't like politicians."

"And yet he married me. Hypocritical."

Ahsoka gave her an uncertain look.

"I'm joking."

"Oh." Ahsoka bowed her head in order to hide her embarrassment.

Padmé chuckled as she pulled her arm free of Ahsoka's and wrapped it around her shoulders.

Ahsoka grinned as they continued to walk. She and Padmé had grown much closer since Ahsoka's near departure from the Order. While she no longer had any respect for the council, there were those she still respected who had the honor to sit amongst those who hated her and Anakin.

Plo Koon.

Kit Fisto.

Obi-Wan.

Yoda.

And of course, Anakin who wasn't too happy to be sitting on a council who had discredited his loyal Padawan for a crime even they knew she would never commit.

Shaking her head to rid herself of the thoughts, Ahsoka turned to face Padmé. "This is going to be a blessing for both you and Anakin. You know that."

Padmé sniffed. "I know but if we are discovered then there is no future for us here on Coruscant."

Ahsoka had a sinking feeling she had a point. If the council discovered that Anakin was in fact Padmé's husband as well as the father of her unborn child then he would be expelled from the Order. Who knew what would happen to Ahsoka for knowing about it. It was something they would have to talk about whenever Anakin returned home.

Padmé, having come to know both Anakin and Ahsoka well, knew that was no Team Skywalker without Ahsoka. She knew Anakin would have been crushed by his Padawan's departure from the Order if she had not come in when she had. With Ahsoka around, Anakin had been much happier then he'd ever been and Padmé had been glad he had changed his tune, even if it had been slightly. He'd be lost without Ahsoka at his side. They had become quite literally, two peas in a pod.

The one thing both Padmé and Ahsoka hoped for was that Anakin came home in time for the baby's birth. They wanted him to be there. They had seen him become comfortable around children over the last few years.

Ahsoka liked to refer to her and Anakin's first mission together, which involved Jabba the Hutt's infant son as a crash course in parenting. Sure, the Hutlett wasn't human by any means but he had taught Anakin and Ahsoka a thing or two about parenting. Ahsoka knew of course that Anakin had secretly become just a little bit fond of Rotta whom Ahsoka had dubbed Stinky due to his stink. Ahsoka had found him cute. Adorable even. Anakin hadn't found his Padawan's words quite so reassuring due to his past as a slave to Gradulla the Hutt.

"He'll be home," Padmé said breaking through Ahsoka's thought barrier. "I know he will be."

"How do you know?" Ahsoka asked. "Motherly instincts?"

Padmé wrinkled her nose. "More like a _wife_ 's instinct."

Ahsoka grinned.

"I just love him so much," Padmé sighed. "I just wish things were different."

Ahsoka gave her a look of sympathy before giving her a tight hug. "I know but one day you will be able to walk around together in public and not have to hide your feelings for him."

"I hope that day comes." Padmé said, hoping she sounded optimistic.

"It will if I have anything to say about it," Ahsoka said boldly. "'Cause no one messes with my friends."

Padmé couldn't have been prouder to call Ahsoka a friend or a sister-in-law due to Ahsoka's 'sister' status in Anakin's life. "I hope my dear, that you're right."

Ahsoka shook her head as she looped her arm through Padmé's.

Laughter rang out as the senator and the Padawan walked back towards the Senate Apartment Complex.

* * *

Anakin drummed his flesh fingers against the guardrail of a lookout post he, Obi-Wan and their clones were stationed at in some unnamed region of the Outer Rim. It had been six weeks since he had last seen his beloved wife and Padawan. While he had left them before, he couldn't help but miss them more.

Since Ahsoka's near departure from the Order, Anakin had only been on a handful of small missions that had only been in and around Coruscant's main city. It had given him time to think and reflect on what could have happened and what would be, now that Ahsoka was back within the Jedi Order's ranks. He had even considered her role within his life now that she knew of his marriage. He had teasingly dubbed her his little sister. Ahsoka, being Ahsoka had taken a shine to the idea and it had stuck, much to Padmé's amusement.

Just the thought of his wife put Anakin on edge. He hated being away from her but he knew they both had to keep up appearances and with Ahsoka around it only made it harder to cope. Ahsoka had been incredibly supportive and understanding. Anakin had thought that she might have gone running for the hills but Ahsoka wasn't like that.

" _Anakin!"_

Snapping out of his daze, Anakin turned his head to see Obi-Wan and Rex watching him with interest.

"You alright, general?" Rex asked.

"Never better, Rex. Uh, what's going on?"

"You didn't hear a word I was saying?" Obi-Wan asked half-heartedly adding a faux dramatic sigh.

Anakin gave him a sideways look. "Really?"

"What?"

"You're trying to make me feel guilty."

"I would never…"

Anakin stared at him.

"Okay, yes. I was trying to make you feel guilty."

Over Obi-Wan's shoulder, Rex frowned but said nothing.

"Ah-huh." Anakin said as he stepped away from the railing. "Now what were you saying Obi-Wan?"

"I have a bad feeling something's going to happen." Obi-Wan said darkly.

"When?" Anakin asked.

"Not sure. Soon. Could be days. Could be weeks. Could be months."

"Are your bad feelings just nostalgia for adventure or to strike down battle droids?" Anakin teased.

Obi-Wan frowned and shook his head. "I never said that."

Anakin knew he had Obi-Wan on edge. There were very few people who could do that without getting their heads bitten off.

A long silence followed. When it became much too awkward, Obi-Wan decided it was wise to relent to his friend.

"Alright Anakin," Obi-Wan said, clearly defeated. "You win. I, like you prefer to be destroying droids. I do not enjoy sitting here and doing nothing. Don't even think of saying what I know you're going to say. We're Jedi. We don't go looking for trouble."

Anakin rolled his eyes and scoffed. "I know. Let trouble find you. If I got a credit for every time you said that, I'd be filthy rich."

"Yes, well, don't go getting any ideas." Obi-Wan said seriously.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

Back of Coruscant, Padmé sat in her office, trying to keep her breakfast down. She had read a lot of things about how to control morning sickness but nothing she had tried seemed to be working. She wasn't about to call it early. It would seem too suspicious.

Looking around, she saw that one of her two loyal handmaidens, Ellé had just re-entered the room.

"Ellé." Padmé called.

"Yes, milady?" Ellé was a rather shy girl but she was as loyal as any of her previous handmaidens had been.

"Can you please call Ahsoka and tell her come here?"

Ellé frowned. "I thought Miss Ahsoka was away with Anakin."

Padmé shook her head but immediately regretted it as the gesture had made her gag. "No. Anakin assigned her to do her theory studies here. She has seen so much battle, she has been missing out the theory."

Ellé pursed her lips. "Do you know where she is now?" she asked politely.

"I'm not sure. She might be in the Jedi Temple library."

The young handmaiden nodded as Padmé handed her a comlink. "Very good milady. I shall see what I can do."

"Thank you." Padmé said, holding her stomach.

Ellé bowed her head and turned to leave the room.

* * *

In the safety of an alcove outside the office, Ellé activated the comlink Padmé had given her and waited patiently for Ahsoka to respond.

" _Ahsoka Tano."_

"Ahsoka, this is Ellé, one of Padmé Amidala's handmaidens."

" _Hi Ellé, what's up?"_ Ahsoka asked.

"Senator Amidala is asking for you."

" _Is she okay?"_ Ahsoka asked, worrying entering her voice.

"Her morning sickness is getting worse, miss." Ellé said.

" _Alright, I'll be right there."_

The conversation cut out and all Ellé had to do was wait.

* * *

Ellé waited out in the hallway that led to Padmé's office. She wasn't anxious, just worried for her mistress.

Over the last thirteen years, the handmaidens that had entered Padmé's service had had to be hard women to crack. The first lot of handmaidens Padmé had had was when she had been fourteen years of age and the Queen of Naboo. Each one of her handmaidens had either been handpicked by her then council or had been childhood friends of hers. One such maiden had been Sabé, who had acted as her decoy. The two were still in touch and had remained close though they rarely saw each other. Padmé had told her about her marriage to Anakin and her pregnancy with her child. Though, the senator had lied to Ahsoka about who else knew.

Ellé relaxed when she saw Ahsoka round the corner. "Oh thank goodness." She breathed when Ahsoka drew nearer.

"How is she?" Ahsoka asked lowering her voice.

"Better. She just needs a bit of company, miss." Ellé said.

Ahsoka nodded. "Understood. Can I go in and see her?"

"Of course." Ellé stepped aside to allow Ahsoka to enter the office.

Ellé wasn't joking when she said Padmé didn't look well. The senator's face was pale with its colour slowly returning.

"Milady, I have Miss Ahsoka like you asked, ma'am."

"Thank you Ellé. You are excused."

Ellé went down in a deep curtsey before leaving the room.

"You look horrible." Ahsoka said as she entered the office.

"I _feel_ horrible." Padmé groaned.

"Why don't you go home? You need rest." Ahsoka insisted.

"No. If I do it will look suspicious if I go home. I need to be working."

Ahsoka leaned against the desk. She could see the defiance and stubbornness in the senator's eyes as she pulled up her datapad and scrolled through the contents. Sighing as she bowed her head, Ahsoka raised it with determination. "You and Anakin are so much alike. I see why you married him. What do you think he would say if he knew you were stressing yourself out? What would he say if he knew you were stressing your _child_ out?"

Padmé looked up from her work to see Ahsoka's intimidating glare. Sighing, she pushed her work away. "You're right." There was a pause as Padmé returned Ahsoka's stare. "You are more like Anakin then I originally thought. I see now why he admires you."

Ahsoka blinked, her anger draining away. "He idolizes me?"

Padmé nodded.

"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? Me idolizing _him?_ "

"Depends on how you look at it."

"I knew you were going to say that." Ahsoka groaned.

Padmé smiled, the colour finally returning to her face.

" _I think a little laughter goes a long way."_ said a voice from the doorway.

The pair looked up to see Bail Organa standing the doorway with 3PO.

"Mistress Padmé, Mistress Padmé, thank goodness you are all right."

"Thank you 3PO for your concern." Padmé said kindly yet sincerely.

3PO took this as his cue to leave.

"Bail. What can we do for you?" Padmé asked as Bail entered and pulled up a chair next to Ahsoka who had seated herself in front of the desk.

"I saw Ellé earlier. I came to check on you. To see how you were feeling."

"Urgh. Like I've been hit with a speeder or at least earlier I did." Padmé said in an attempt to ignore the nagging feeling in her stomach.

"Have you seen a doctor?" Bail asked, concerned.

"Yes. I did see a doctor to find out if I was pregnant or not and it turns out that I am."

"I take it that Anakin has no idea."

"Not yet. I didn't want him to worry. We've been fighting a war. We haven't even talked about having a family."

"Padmé," Ahsoka said gently as she reached across the desk for her hand. "Anakin will be over the moon. Trust me. It might be a bit of a shock at first but once the shock fades, he'll be overjoyed." Ahsoka wrinkled up her nose at the word. It had been the only word that had come to mind.

"Alas, I quite agree," Bail nodded. "I might not know Anakin as well as you two ladies do but I know he will make an excellent father."

Ahsoka smirked. She had a feeling Bail was going to side with her.

"Thank you senator for siding with me." Ahsoka said cheekily.

"No, thank you, young Ahsoka." Bail nodded with a smile.

Padmé looked between her two friends and started to mentally analyse what they had told her.

Yes, Anakin would make a good father.

Yes, It would change their lives as well as be a bit of a shock at first.

But despite the negative obstacles that were going to have to be faced, Padmé knew in some strange way, this was all going to work out.

"It's going to all work out, Padmé. Have a little bit of faith." Padmé heard Ahsoka say.

"She's right, Padmé," Bail said. "Can I ask something?"

"Of course." Padmé said calmly.

"How far along are you?"

"Almost three months, maybe three months and a half. Why?"

"Just wondering. You know you are going to have to take precautions if you want to hide it once you start showing."

Ahsoka looked from Bail to Padmé. "I agree. I mean, it's going to get harder and harder to hide as your due date comes closer."

The trio were silent for a moment.

Padmé considered her options. She could wear loose gowns or even send one of her handmaidens into the senate if she had to but she knew if she did that it would only look suspicious and she wanted to avoid that as much as possible. She even thought she could watch the sessions from a distance but she knew that she was bound to have meetings and people would ask questions in regards to her whereabouts so that was out too.

"You don't have a lot of options, Padmé," Ahsoka said, snapping Padmé out of her thoughts. "The council will be able to sense to the child's Force presence if he or she has one."

Bail frowned in confusion. "How will they be able to do that? It's not like they immediately can sense a Force presence from a being not yet born. Right?"

Ahsoka thought for a moment. She thought back to when Force Sensitive children were being kidnapped by Cad Bane to be given to Darth Sidious, the Sith Master that the Jedi had been hunting for the last thirteen years to fuel his own evil plans. She hadn't heard anything about the Jedi being able to sense a Force presence before a being is born.

"Senator Organa has a point but you forget something," Ahsoka paused. "This child is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker. There is no doubt in my mind that this child will be Force sensitive. He or she will be powerful with the Force and very easy prey to anyone who is out to get the Jedi and Anakin."

Padmé felt her skin crawl and an icy chill roll down her back. She hadn't considered the dangers her child would face growing up. She had been too caught up in worrying about Anakin's reaction that she hadn't stopped to think of the dangers of bringing a child into a world where there were people out there that wanted their father as well as their mother dead.

"Ahsoka's right," Padmé sighed. "I haven't thought any of this through."

Bail and Ahsoka looked at each other, both wearing looks of concern.

"Anakin assigned me to look after you and that means your baby too," Padmé looked up to see the fierce look of determination on Ahsoka's face as she spoke again. "I'll do whatever I have to protect you both. Even if it means lying."

Bail smiled. "You are a loyal friend, Ahsoka. Your master would be pleased."

Ahsoka blushed but returned the smile. "If he knew."

"And there is that little dilemma that I am still trying to work out." Padmé pressed her lips into a tight line.

"Are you going to tell him?" Bail prompted.

"Yes," Padmé said folding her hands in front of her on the dress. "I know exactly when I'm going to do it I just hope he's alive for me to tell him."

"What do you mean? Of course Anakin's going to come home alive. What makes you think he won't?" Ahsoka frowned, unsure of where this was going.

Padmé sighed, her breath shaky. "I just have this horrible feeling something bad is going to happen to him and Obi-Wan."

Ahsoka reached out through the Force like Anakin had taught her but withdrew just as quickly.

Padmé was quick to catch the look of withdrawal on Ahsoka's face. "What? What is it?"

"Anakin's presence keeps appearing and disappearing. I don't know why."

"Is that even possible?" Bail questioned.

"I've always been able to sense Anakin's presence even when we're half a galaxy away from each other but this is odd." Ahsoka swallowed her fear in an attempt to keep it from showing on her face.

"Do you think he could be shielding you?" Padmé asked, hoping she was right.

"I don't think so. I'd know if he was."

"Can you sense Master Kenobi?" Bail asked.

Ahsoka withdrew from the present and back into the Force as she had just moments earlier. She withdrew just as quickly, frowning. "This just got bad," she said. "I can't feel Obi-Wan at all."

Padmé could feel her stomach drop and her worries beginning to resurface. She had feared since the beginning of the war that she would become a war widow without anyone realizing it. Her child would grow up fatherless and this was something she could not bear.

* * *

In the deepest cave on an unnamed planet in the Outer Rim, Anakin paced. His hands were shackled while his legs were freed. Obi-Wan on the other hand, was sitting with both sets of limbs free, not far from where Anakin was pacing

"Remind me again, how we came to be in this mess." Obi-Wan said.

"I have no idea," Anakin said skeptically. "I was hoping you could tell me."

Obi-Wan remained silent.

"That's what I figured." Anakin flashed Obi-Wan a dark look.

They could hear the wind whistling and roaring outside.

"If only R2 were in here with us. He'd get us out of this."

Anakin's eyes lit up. "I think you're right." He murmured. "R2! We need you buddy!"

"Are you crazy? He can't hear us from out there."

Anakin grinned.

Obi-Wan's expression dropped. He rolled his eyes, knowing that Anakin hadn't told him what he had been planning. "Please don't tell me, you planned to get us captured."

Anakin looked at him, appalled. "I would never do that."

Obi-Wan obviously had his doubts but the Jedi master kept his mouth shut. He cringed when a smirk crossed Anakin's face as R2-D2 himself rolled in, beeping to announce his arrival.

"Hey buddy," Anakin said as R2 rolled over to him. "Get me out this, huh?"

R2 beeped something that made Anakin grin. "I know, I know."

Holding out his wrists, Anakin squatted down so that R2 would saw through his bindings.

The Jedi knight watched as sparks flew as R2's buzz saw did easy work of his bindings.

Once his work was done, R2 beeped what sounded like a scowling.

Anakin smirked. "I know, I know, buddy. I know I could have gotten Obi-Wan and myself killed."

R2 continued to barge Anakin with beeps of annoyance and what sounded like curses to Obi-Wan's ears.

Anakin just stood there and took his little droid friend's abuse. He knew Ahsoka would be proud of the droid for putting him in his place. In fact, he could almost hear Ahsoka's voice in his head congratulating R2 on a job well done. A lazy smile crossed his face.

" _Anakin."_

The sound of Obi-Wan's voice snapped Anakin from his daze. He turned to see Obi-Wan was now standing beside him.

"I know you're thinking of Ahsoka and she would be saying but we have to get out of here." Just as the words left Obi-Wan's mouth, the cave began to rumble and shake. "Now."

Without another word, Anakin ran for the exit of the cave with R2 not far behind him. Obi-Wan followed suit.

As the trio exited and got to a safe distance, the cave began to give way. It came down in a shower of rock and dust.

"Well," Anakin said as the dust started to settle. "That went well."

Obi-Wan looked at him as if he'd lost his mind.

R2 rolled to Anakin's side as he beeped as if to ridicule his master.

Absently, Anakin patted R2's dome affectionately as he viewed his 'handiwork'.

"We need to find a way out of here." Obi-Wan said, looking around. "Got any ideas, Anakin?"

"Not one." Anakin answered immediately.

"You got us into this," Obi-Wan scolded. "You have to get us out."

Anakin simply looked at him, not knowing what to say.

* * *

Three weeks passed and Padmé began to grow worried. The Holonet had only reported that Anakin and Obi-Wan had gone MIA but that didn't mean they were dead. She was still clinging to hope, not just for the life of her husband and the father of her unborn child but for the life of her longtime friend too.

Typho had seen the stress building and had recommended that Padmé return to Naboo for a few days.

Padmé had wanted to decline as she had too much work on Coruscant to do but Ahsoka had agreed with the captain. A bit of time out from work would do her some good Ahsoka had said. If there was one thing Padmé hated it was being ganged up on. It was one of the things she shared with Anakin.

Now, it didn't matter as she now found herself walking arm in arm with Ahsoka along the wraparound balcony of the Lake Retreat on Naboo.

"I hope he's alright." Padmé found herself saying.

"He'll be fine. If he's gotten himself into a situation, Obi-Wan I'm sure will have to get him out of it." Ahsoka said.

Throughout the war, Padmé and Ahsoka had come to know each other well enough to know whom the other was referring to.

"R2's with him."

Ahsoka nodded. "If they were dead I would know about it straight away."

Padmé knew she should have been at ease but found that she was anything but. She knew Ahsoka's bond with Anakin was strong and that she would tell her if there was any change.

"I'm just…"

"Worried?"

Padmé felt her head go down into a nod.

"You have every right to worry," Ahsoka said pulling Padmé to a stop. "He's your husband. You'd be a terrible wife if you didn't."

"You're right. I'm sorry." Padmé said biting her lip.

"For what? You have nothing to be sorry for."

"It's just," Padmé swallowed. "After three years, you would think I would be good at keeping secrets from everyone I know." She pressed her lips together and shook her head. "It does not get any easier and this baby," Padmé slid a hand over her stomach. "Just adds to the burden. I have always been the one that has to stay strong for Anakin but sometimes it feels like it's just too much."

Ahsoka wasn't sure how she should comfort her friend. "I know it's hard but things are going to get better."

"How can you know that?" Padmé asked.

Ahsoka allowed herself to smile. "Because I have faith. Faith that Anakin will come back to us, he will meet this little one." Ahsoka placed a hand over Padmé's stomach.

Padmé knew it was silly to worry when Anakin was probably fine but she couldn't help it. Sighing, she rested her head against Ahsoka's.

Ahsoka sighed knowing that comforting Padmé was the only thing she could do to distract them both from thinking of the negative.

* * *

Elsewhere in the galaxy, Anakin sat on a grassy hill staring up at a dark void of space. When he was young, he had wanted to be the first person to visit every single place in the galaxy. Now, he had lost count of how many planets he had been to but not all of them had been pleasant experiences. He had been quick to learn that the galaxy was not all it had cracked up. If teaching Ahsoka had taught him anything it was that there was almost always a positive that came from a negative.

Just thinking of Ahsoka had him wonder what she and Padmé were up to. What were they talking about? Was Ahsoka telling Padmé of all the times he'd screwed up? Was Padmé teasing him over all the stupid things he'd done in the past? 'Probably' was the answer to all those questions.

A smile crossed Anakin's face at the thought. Ahsoka and Padmé brought him so much joy and happiness in a galaxy of darkness. While he loved Padmé more then anything, he loved Ahsoka just as much as only a big brother could. Deep down he wished his mother had of had another child but he knew that was impossible as his conception was a miracle within itself.

Yes, Ahsoka could be annoying and yes Padmé could be frustrating at times but those were their most redeeming qualities that Anakin couldn't help but love. Yes, his attachment issues had gotten the better of him and even gotten him into trouble but it had taught him so much in the last thirteen years.

"You thinking of Ahsoka?" Obi-Wan asked as he sat down next to Anakin.

"Yeah. How could you tell?"

Obi-Wan gave him a knowing smile. "Anakin, for as long as I have known you I have been able to pick up on your moods. Since Ahsoka's near departure from the Order, you've been even closer to her."

Anakin knew better then to feel guilty. Obi-Wan could read him but not as well as Ahsoka could. Ahsoka could pick on his moods before anyone else could, not that Obi-Wan needed to know that.

"Yes, I have."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, I think as well that it has bought you and I closer as well."

Anakin snorted in amusement. "How do you figure that, Master?"

"Well, you listen to me more then you ever have. Ahsoka _has_ taught you something."

Anakin considered that. Ahsoka had taught him something. There was no doubt that she would make a fine Jedi Master someday. Whoever was lucky enough to get her as their mentor would be thinking the same thing but that was a while off yet.

"You should be proud of her," Obi-Wan continued. "You have taught her so much in only a short amount of time. I think because of her, you are who you are now. I am certainly very proud of you."

"If you're trying to suck up to me, please don't."

Obi-Wan laughed. "I wouldn't dare dream it, old friend."

Anakin mentally searched for a way to get off topic. "How long are we going to be here?"

"Hopefully, only a couple more days. I don't know about you, but this place is giving me the creeps."

"Odd, I'm not getting that vibe."

"Because you're not use to creepy."

"I'm use to creepy. Remember when Ahsoka and I had to rescue R2?" Anakin immediately regretted using this memory as a reference.

"Yes, how can I forget?"

"The places Ahsoka and I went to were creepy and I had every right to be suspicious of that gold droid."

"That is hardly a good reference to creepy."

Anakin grumbled something Obi-Wan couldn't quite catch.

"Just be thankful that you, Ahsoka and R2 got out of that situation alive. You should have listened and wiped R2's memory banks."

Anakin hadn't wiped R2's memory banks because there were _other_ things that he had wanted to keep. This included footage from his and Padmé's wedding on Naboo. While Obi-Wan didn't know that and couldn't know that, the memory of those few days of R2's absence still felt raw as if the situation had happened just last week.

"You know I couldn't just let R2 go. He's a longtime friend." Anakin said uncomfortably.

"You've always loved droids, Anakin. I've never understood why."

"You'd say the same thing if…" Anakin stopped mid-sentence.

"If what?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Nothing, " Anakin shook his head. "Forget I said anything."

Obi-Wan knew better then to argue with him. There was nothing worse then an angry and annoyed Anakin.

"What do you think _Ahsoka_ would do in a situation like this?" Obi-Wan said trying to get off topic.

Anakin knew Obi-Wan was referring to their current situation. "I'm not sure. I'm sure she'd come up with some half-cocked plan."

"Is that you talking or her?" Obi-Wan joked.

Anakin smirked as his rested his chin on his knees. "Honestly, I have no idea what Ahsoka would do."

"You know Ahsoka comes up with some pretty good plans. They outdo yours. Now I really should have taken her on as my Padawan."

Anakin gave him a look of annoyance.

Obi-Wan chuckled softly and rested a hand on Anakin's shoulder.

* * *

It was around midday on Coruscant and Ahsoka had her nose buried deep in her notes. She had been in the Jedi Temple Library since completing her visit to Padmé that morning. Despite not wanting to leave her friend alone, Padmé had told her that she could cope and Ahsoka should be focusing on her studies.

" _Are you Ahsoka Tano?"_

Ahsoka looked up from her work to see a human boy a few years younger then her watching her work. He was tall for his age and was probably a head or two shorter then Anakin.

"Ah, yeah. Can I help you?"

"Sorry, I'm Caleb Dume. I'm Master Billaba's Padawan."

Ahsoka turned away from her work. "What can I do for you, Caleb?"

"Ah…" Caleb seemed a little unsure of himself.

" _Caleb!"_

Caleb jumped at the sound of his name being called. He then cursed under his breath.

A dark skinned woman with her dark hair braided in loops on either side of her head stepped around the corner and she didn't look too happy.

"Master!" Caleb said in an attempt to sound less afraid then what he already was. "How did you find me?"

"I saw you disappear, my young strategist."

Caleb's shoulders slumped. "My apologies, Master."

Depa stepped behind Caleb and placed her hands on his shoulders. She then turned to Ahsoka. "My apologies, young one."

Ahsoka gave her a small grin. "It's okay, Master Billaba. Caleb only came and said hi."

"You know who I am?" Depa raised her eyebrows as a grin appeared on her thin lips.

"Yes, I've seen you come out of the council chambers with Master Kenobi and Master Skywalker." Ahsoka said, pride particularly leaking from her voice.

"Ah, so you are the Padawan that Skywalker talks so openly about. It is nice to finally meet you Ahsoka."

"Likewise Master Depa." Ahsoka nodded.

Suddenly, Ahsoka's wrist comm started to beep.

"Sorry, Master. I really need to take this. It was nice to meet you both." Ahsoka said apologetically as she shoved her stuff back into her satchel. As she stood up, she turned to face Caleb "Caleb," she said as she pulled the strap of her bag over her head. "Master Yoda has asked me to talk to the younglings and Padawans that are on world about my battlefield experiences next week. It would be nice if you came along."

"Can we go, Master?" Caleb asked Depa hopefully. "Please?"

Depa chuckled. "I do not see why not. We shall see if we are still on-planet then. Thank you for the offer, Ahsoka." The Jedi Master nodded and Ahsoka did the same. "You had better not keep your contact waiting."

"Thank you, Master Billaba." Ahsoka called over her shoulder as she hurried out of the study space.

"She's a strange one, Master." Caleb commented as Ahsoka disappeared around the corner.

"Yes but she is trained by one of the best Jedi the Order has ever had."

"Skywalker? What's he like?" Caleb asked.

"I would not know as I have not had the honour of having a proper conversation with him. From what I have heard he is one of a kind."

Caleb looked a little disappointed but knew there would be plenty of time for getting know his new friend at a later date.

* * *

Ahsoka looked around the corridor as she slipped out of the library and down into one of the alcoves.

" _Tano."_ she murmured.

"Ahsoka, it's Padmé."

"Padmé? What's up? What's wrong?"

Padmé laughed. "Nothing. I was just wondering what you were doing for lunch."

Ahsoka looked at the time on the clock in the corridor. It was almost 1pm. She then heard her stomach grumble. "I haven't eaten. Does that count?"

There was a pause.

"Yes," Padmé said at last. "I suppose it does."

"Okay then." Ahsoka said uncertainly.

"Meet you at Dex's diner in twenty minutes?"

"I didn't think Dex's was fancy enough for a well known senator." Ahsoka teased.

"I will eat just about anywhere, besides I'm not craving anything too fancy. Just lunch with my sister-in-law."

"Is that what you're calling me now?" Ahsoka snorted.

"Is that okay with you?"

"Of course. I think you-know-who will like that too. Just don't tell him. I'll never hear the end of it."

"I wouldn't dream of it. So we good for Dex's?"

"Yep. See you there. I just have to dump my stuff in my room."

"Okay, see you there."

The communication shut off.

Ahsoka smiled to herself as she emerged from the alcove and back into the hallway. Things were really starting to look up. During the few months she had known about Anakin and Padmé, Ahsoka had very quickly learned that life was not always a piece of cake. In fact, life could be hard to deal with at times. Keeping Anakin's secret life away from the preying ears of the Jedi and most importantly, the council had taught her a thing or two about secrets and how to micro manage her own private life.

Arriving at her chambers in the main part of Jedi Temple, she dumped the contents of her bag on her bed and returned her comlink and datapad to their bag compartments. She knew she'd need them in case Anakin or Obi-Wan tried to contact her though she knew that they wouldn't. She grabbed her favorite poncho and pulled it hurriedly over her head. Before pulling the strap of her bag over her chest.

She then looked around at the mess that was her room before heading out the door.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Ahsoka arrived at Dex's Diner to find Padmé sitting at the furthest booth from the door.

"Well, if it isn't Anakin faithful little friend."

"Hello Dex." Ahsoka smiled as the Besalisk cook exited the kitchen.

"How are ya, little darlin'?" Dex chuckled as he stepped over to Ahsoka for a hug.

"Fine thanks," Ahsoka laughed as Dex lifted her off her feet in a tight bear hug. "I'm actually here to meet a friend."

Dex put her down, allowing her to turn to face where Padmé was sitting, watching the exchange with amusement.

"Dex," Ahsoka said as he followed her over to Padmé's table. "I trust you know Senator Padmé Amidala?"

"Indeed I do," Dex said as Ahsoka slid into the booth opposite Padmé. "Anakin and Obi-Wan introduced us not too long ago and don't worry," Dex slid into the booth next to Ahsoka and lowered his voice. "I know your secret." He winked and placed a large finger to his lips.

Ahsoka and Padmé exchanged looks.

"How?" Padmé asked lowering her own voice as well as her head.

"Oh," Dex chuckled. "Ol' Dex here isn't as stupid as you might believe, my dear senator. I saw the way Anakin was looking at you. I kinda pieced it together that way. I cannot however, fathom as to why Obi-Wan has not yet pieced it together."

"Obi-Wan is too caught up in the beliefs of the Order, we're afraid," Ahsoka said as she looked through the menu that now occupied her hands. "It's best if he doesn't know."

"How does Anakin feel about that?"

"He doesn't like it anymore then we do but we have to do whatever we can to avoid exposure." Padmé said uneasily.

"Ah, the Jedi Order is a strange bunch in my eyes. Never understood why they were so strict with rules."

Padmé and Ahsoka's faces lit up as they exchanged pleased looks.

"Well," Ahsoka said setting down her menu. "You're more then welcome to alert Skyguy to this conversation."

"Speaking of which, where is the 'Chosen One'?"

"We aren't quite sure. We aren't sure whether to believe the reports that the Holonet are releasing." Padmé bit her lip in an attempt to keep her fears from resurfacing.

"The Holonet can often be wrong. I am sure we would hear something from the temple if something bad had happened. Don't worry, my dear. Anakin is capable of looking after himself." Dex said kindly patting the senator's hand.

"Dex's right, Padmé," Ahsoka agreed. "The temple has more accurate information then the Holonet does. Plus, I'd be able to sense it if something had happened."

"Anakin was right. You are the ultimate optimist of the group."

Ahsoka grinned. "That's me."

"Okay, ladies," Dex chuckled. "What shall it be?"

* * *

Anakin was beginning to wonder if joining Obi-Wan in the Outer Rim was such a bright idea. First, he'd nearly gotten them buried alive and now he had gotten them into another fine mess that he didn't know how to get them out of.

He and Obi-Wan were hanging upside down but the ankles from the stone ceiling in another cave. Unlike last time, they didn't have R2 to bail them out.

"This is not your brightest plan, Anakin." Obi-Wan mused, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm aware." Anakin murmured half-heartedly.

"We don't have R2 this time to get us out this, Anakin."

"I know."

"I really wish you'd think these things through before you get us trapped in yet _another_ cave."

"I kn-" Anakin stopped and turned his head (awkwardly) to face his old master. "Wait, what?"

"You heard me."

"No, not that. I could hear you say something in your head, you know, through the Force."

"How is that possible?"

"I dunno." Anakin made an attempt to shrug.

"What did my head say?" Obi-Wan screwed up his face. The words sounded strange coming from his mouth.

"You said there is a way to get down."

"Oh? And how exactly do we do that?"

Anakin smiled. He turned his gaze to the ceiling and used the Force to pull himself free from his bindings. He braced for impact as the rock moved enough in the ceiling for the electro-chains to come loose. He hit the ground below, landing on his back. He then freed his legs from the chains that had deactivated after they'd be freed from the ceiling.

"Well done Anakin. Get me out of mine." Obi-Wan called down.

Anakin looked up, pondering over whether he should just leave Obi-Wan up there. "You know, I could just leave…"

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Okay, okay." Anakin muttered. He looked up again and waved his hand in the direction of Obi-Wan's chained legs.

Like before, the chains deactivated as they detached from the ceiling. Obi-Wan cried out as he dropped like a stone to the ground with a much heavier thud then Anakin had.

"Never get us captured again." Obi-Wan fumed as Anakin helped him free his legs.

In any other situation, Anakin would have shot back with a smart comeback but he couldn't bring himself to do so this time. "I wouldn't dream of it, Obi-Wan." He looked around. "How do we get outta here?"

"I believe I can help you with that." Said a sultry voice that the duo would recognise anywhere.

"Ventress?" Anakin and Obi-Wan chorused together.

"What are you doing here?" Anakin asked as Ventress drew closer to them.

As the former assassin drew closer, Anakin and Obi-Wan could see that she a large glow stick in her hand and not her blood red lighsabres. In fact, they couldn't see her lightsabres on her person at all. They also noticed that she was no longer bald and had grown her hair back.

"I heard your tiresome complaints Kenobi from outside." Ventress said as she turned to Obi-Wan.

"You were outside the cave the whole time?" Anakin questioned as he tried hard not show his disgust.

"No," Ventress shook her head. "I was walking past. Since young Tano's trial, I have been keeping a low profile."

"You helped Anakin capture Barriss," Obi-Wan said, piecing everything together. "So you believe you owe us a… favor?"

"No, of course I don't. I don't believe in favors."

"So what then?" Anakin said.

Obi-Wan and Ventress looked at him. They seemed to sense the same thing.

"Do you want help or not?" Ventress said stubbornly avoiding Anakin's question.

Anakin and Obi-Wan look at each other, as they silently argued over how they were going to get themselves out of their predicament.

"All right," Anakin said. "But under one condition."

"Name it," said Ventress. She showed strength but Anakin and Obi-Wan could sense her uncertainly. "I have nothing more to give."

Anakin and Obi-Wan look at each other again, a look that is beginning to annoy Ventress but she remains quiet. "We'd like you to come back the Jedi Temple with us."

* * *

 _Lunch had never been so much fun,_ Padmé had thought as she and Ahsoka laughed their way through the corridors of the Senate Apartment Complex.

"I never thought I would enjoy lunch that much," Padmé found herself saying out loud. "I've had lunches with other senators that have been tactical and political but never with a Jedi that wasn't Anakin."

Ahsoka laughed. "Try eating lunch on a battlefield where you're surrounded by clones who have virtually no table manners."

They walked in silence, smiling from ear to ear.

"Are they really that bad?"

"Who?"

"The clones."

Ahsoka was thoughtful for a moment. "Well, they weren't total slobs but they have big appetites on them."

"Just like a certain general."

Ahsoka nodded, causing Padmé to laugh.

"We should really do this more often." Padmé smiled as they reached her apartment door.

"I agree. We should do it just to annoy Anakin. I'm sure that would rile him up to tell us off."

"You have ways to getting under his skin, don't you?" Padmé's voice indicated that she was scolding Ahsoka but there was a layer of amusement that had to be heard to be believed.

"What can I say? It's a gift." Ahsoka grinned as Padmé activated the door.

Motée, the second of Padmé's handmaidens joined the pair at the door. "Welcome home, milady. Welcome, Miss Ahsoka."

"Thank you, Motée." Ahsoka smiled.

"Is there anything I can do for you, madams?"

"No thank you, Motée." Padmé said with a nod of her head. "You are excused."

Motée nodded and turned away to continue with her chores.

Ahsoka found herself feeling faint. She pressed a hand to her forehead in an attempt steady herself.

"Ahsoka? Are you okay?" Padmé asked, turning her head in her direction.

Regaining her balance, Ahsoka offered the senator a weak smile. "Yes, I'm fine. I just blacked out for a moment."

Padmé, concerned for her young friend, gently took her by the arm and guided her down to the living area and ordered her to sit.

"Sit."

"I told you I'm fine." Ahsoka grumbled.

"Ahsoka," Padmé said gently as she sat opposite the teenager. "I know you and Anakin well enough to know that fainting spells aren't normal with Jedi. Out with it."

Padmé was known to be strong-willed but she wasn't known to be commanding.

Sighing, Ahsoka decided it was best to tell Padmé the truth now rather then her find out some other way. "Anakin's alive."

"What?" Padmé said, frightened of what she was hearing.

"Anakin is alive," Ahsoka said slowly. "Just then, during my dizzy spell, I caught glimpses of Anakin and Obi-Wan but the strange part about it was that they weren't alone."

Padmé frowned. Ahsoka knew what she was thinking.

"This might sound crazy but I think Ventress was the one that sent me the flash."

Now Padmé was confused. "Ventress? Why would she send you a flash?"

Ahsoka shook her head mystified. "I have no idea. I wish I knew."

"Do you think she's on our side now?" Padmé asked suddenly.

"Maybe. I mean Dooku did try to have her killed. She helped Anakin clear my name. I know she wants nothing to do with either side of the Force but it's not exactly something you can forget."

"I agree with you Ahsoka but we need to stay focused on Anakin. Not Ventress."

"You're right. You're right." Ahsoka said, her hands raised in defeat.

"What else did this vision tell you?"

"It wasn't all that clear except for the Anakin being alive part."

"What about Obi-Wan?" Padmé asked.

"I caught a glimpse of red."

"What kind of red?" Padmé asked, nervously.

"Ginger red." Ahsoka answered immediately. "And it was moving."

Padmé sighed in relief. "He's alive."

Ahsoka nodded. "Remind me to ask Anakin why Ventress was helping them when he gets back."

Padmé grinned as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

* * *

As the months passed, Padmé's pregnancy was becoming harder and harder to hide. Padmé's gowns were made to hide her growing stomach but the senator was becoming self-conscious that the council could sense her unborn child's Force presence.

Ahsoka was always telling her to stop being paranoid and to simply enjoy being pregnant.

"No really, which one?" Padmé asked one morning, a week before Anakin and Obi-Wan were scheduled to be coming home. She and Ahsoka were in her and Anakin's bedroom looking through dresses that Padmé was to wear when Anakin returned.

"He's not due home until next week," Ahsoka laughed. She was sitting at the end of the bed as Padmé bought out dress after dress. "Worry about what you're going to wear _next_ week."

Padmé sighed as she put the dress she was holding back into the wardrobe. "You're right."

"You're excited. It's only nature."

"I know," Padmé said as she went to sit beside Ahsoka. "I have waited so long to tell him about the baby that I just want everything to be perfect."

Ahsoka gave Padmé a sympathetic look before gently nudging her shoulder.

Padmé nudged her back, a smile forming on her lips. "So what about you, young Ahsoka?"

"What about me?"

"How you are going to explain your change in appearance?"

Over the last few months, Ahsoka's appearance had changed from that of a 16 nearly 17 year old to one of an adult. The silver diamonds that had once sat above Ahsoka's forehead had been replaced with a large silver diamond with a maroon outline along with irregular maroon and bronze stripes running along on either side of her forehead. Her face markings had also started to expand to being more irregular in shape. She still wore her red body suit but she had been waiting to find something out of the ordinary before making her full transition from follower of the Jedi Council to one of the rare few that disobeyed their direct orders. Ahsoka's lekku and montrals still had some growing to do but didn't matter at the moment.

"I will let him make the first move. I think you should do the same."

"We're a strange pair, aren't we?" Padmé said as she wrapped an arm Ahsoka, pulling her closer.

Ahsoka was thoughtful for a moment. "Remember what I said? He will be overjoyed. I'm sure there are better words I could use but that is the first that springs to mind."

"I hope you're right, Soka. I hope you're right."

* * *

With a week to go until he got to return home, Anakin was looking forward to spending some well-deserved time with his wife and Padawan. He was looking forward to hearing their stories and just getting time to recover. Three years of fighting a war was enough to do anyone's head in. The only time he treasured was time in the training room with Ahsoka or just spending one-on-one husband and wife time with Padmé but now he had both of them to consider now that Ahsoka knew.

" _Anakin!"_

Anakin spun around to see Obi-Wan running towards him. "What it is? What's wrong?"

"The Chancellor has been kidnapped by General Grievous and Dooku."

 _So much for going home early,_ Anakin thought bitterly. "When do we leave?" he spoke aloud.

"Now." Obi-Wan said.

"What about Rex and the clones?" Anakin asked.

"Rex is returning to Coruscant with a handful of the 501st. "

Anakin didn't appear to be real happy with this. "Very well. I will see you on home soil, Rex." Anakin said as those returning to Coruscant gathered around. "All of you. Get some rest. You've all deserved it."

"You heard the general. Let's move!" Rex called. The troops retreated to their transport ships.

Anakin and Obi-Wan watched as the ships containing those returning home took off.

"Let's get moving." Anakin said as the ships disappeared into the sky. He then walked towards his starfighter where R2 was already in his compartment. "You ready to shoot some enemy droids, buddy?"

R2 beeped excitedly as Anakin chuckled.

From where he was standing, Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and shook his head before heading for his starfighter.

* * *

The news of the Chancellor's kidnapping had spread like wildfire.

Ahsoka raced through the halls of the Senate Office building, her cloak flying behind her as she ran. She ignored the looks the senators she passed were giving her. She skidded to a halt not far from the alcove Ellé had used to contact her a few months earlier. She sighed as she walked into the office.

Padmé sat at her desk going through a bunch of reports. She looked up when she heard approaching footsteps.

"Padmé!" Ahsoka jogged over to the desk. She looked flustered.

"Soka," Padmé said rising from her desk. "You look exhausted. What it is? What happened?"

"You haven't heard the news?" Ahsoka asked as she struggled to catch her breath.

"What news?" Padmé asked, her voice shaking.

"It's the Chancellor. He's been kidnapped by Grievous and Dooku."

"How is that possible? The Chancellor's office is always heavily guarded."

"I wish I had more news but I don't."

Ahsoka looked away from Padmé, biting her lip.

"There's more isn't there?" Padmé attempted to return Ahsoka's gaze to her own. "Ahsoka. Please. Don't keep this from me. Has this got to do with Anakin?"

Ahsoka's eyes slowly met with Padmé's. "He and Obi-Wan have been assigned to rescue Palpatine."

* * *

The next couple of hours were nothing more then a blur. No more information had come through about the Chancellor's kidnapping which was really beginning to annoy Ahsoka. How could the Holonet know everything else about the war but not report on the leader of the Republic's fate?

Padmé stood on the balcony watching for any signs of starships or anything that indicate the Chancellor's safe return. She was dressed in a purple velvet dress with long drop earrings. Her chestnut brown hair sat at the sides of her head in cinnamon buns. Around her neck, hidden from view was the Japor Snippet Anakin had made her all those years ago.

Ahsoka, who had been watching her, got to her feet and went to join her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be all right."

Padmé sighed, unsure of what to believe. She just wanted Anakin home where he was safe.

Something caught Ahsoka's eye. "What's that?" Using her free hand, she pointed to a bright light coming in much faster then it should have been moving.

"Anakin!" Padmé nearly shouted.

"Did I hear Master Anakin's name being mentioned, my lady?" C-3PO's voice said, causing Padmé and Ahsoka to jump.

"Yes, you did 3PO." Ahsoka said with a smile. "Would you accompany Senator Amidala down to where the Chancellor will meet with the council?"

"Is that wise, miss?" Ellé asked, stepping forward.

"I will be fine, Ellé," Padmé assured her. "I will stay well-hidden so no one will know that I am there. 3PO, I think R2 will be happy to see you."

"Oh, ah, very well. Come along then, Mistress Padmé." 3PO waddled towards the door.

Padmé seemed reluctant to leave Ahsoka. "Won't you come with me? I know Anakin will be glad to see you."

Ahsoka smiled and shook her head. "I will remain here. I have a bit of study I still need to do. Go. Be with your husband. I'll be here when you return."

Padmé took a shaky breath as she headed after 3PO. "Here I go."

"Padmé." Ahsoka called. Padmé stopped and turned to face her. "Good luck."

The senator swallowed her nerves and nodded before heading for the door.

* * *

 _How was that? I loved writing Ahsoka dishing the dirt on how the clones eat. Also, Anakin has a new ship that replaced the Twilight after it got destroyed but more on that later. So, we are now reaching the timeline for Revenge of the Sith. The next chapter will pick up about a half hour (I know, specific) after this one. I should have it up tonight. Fingers crossed._

 _Just a side note about Bail Organa being in the know of Anakin and Padmé's marriage, while this wasn't exactly addressed in the Clone Wars, in Revenge of the Sith, he was willing to adopt Leia and didn't question as to who her biological father was. I know he adopted Leia out of loyalty to Padmé but he didn't question once about Anakin being Leia's father and that made me think that maybe he knew to some degree._

 _Also, I mentioned Sabé for a reason. She will pop up but much later in the story. I always liked Sabé and it was disappointing that she didn't continue to serve as Padmé's handmaiden when she became a senator. It would have been nice to see her._

 _To be continued..._


	4. Ch 3: Reunions and Family Matters

**A/N:** _Here's chapter 3. I really enjoyed writing the first part of this chapter. The rest of it, not so much. I have to re-read some of the stuff in this chapter for a few chapters later on to make sense, as I have forgotten all about it. I really loved the character of Riyo Chuchi in the Clone Wars and wanted to include her in this story. I love how she, much like Padmé, takes Ahsoka under her wing and teaches her about politics. This chapter also introduces the whole baby name debacle that I think most new parents have. I know mine did when they were naming my sister (whom I named and they have never let me forget it) when I was five. The matter of baby names will also come up in a later chapter._

* * *

 **Chapter 03: Reunions and Family Matters**

* * *

Ahsoka sat cross-legged and shoeless on one of Padmé's couches, absorbed in her study. She was so focused that she nearly didn't hear the opening and closing of the apartment door. She could hear the familiar banter between R2 and 3PO. She was surprised when she heard the sound of laughter.

She relaxed when Padmé rounded the corner hand in hand with Anakin with the droids not far behind them.

"You told him?" Ahsoka found herself saying before she could stop herself.

Padmé nodded enthusiastically with a smile unwavering on her face. Ahsoka squealed in delight before clamping her hands over her mouth.

Anakin laughed.

Ahsoka unclamped her hands from her mouth as she jumped to her feet. "Welcome home, Anakin." She said as she and her master hugged.

"Thanks Snips. It's nice to be home." Anakin pulled back to examine his Padawan. "Look at how you've grown."

"A few months away will cause changes to just about anyone." Padmé commented.

"So you like the new look?" Ahsoka asked.

Anakin nodded, unable to keep the smile from his face. "Impressive. Most Impressive."

Padmé grinned. Things were finally going back to the way she liked them.

"So, you knew?" Anakin said giving Ahsoka a mock version of the stink eye.

"Yeah, I knew."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"I was sworn to secrecy."

"Of course you were."

Ahsoka snorted. "How's it feel, _daddy?"_ she teased.

"Still trying to get my head around it but I'm thrilled. I cannot believe in a few short months I'm going to be a father."

"Yeah, I'm still trying to swallow my pride on the issue." Ahsoka muttered under her breath.

"Heard that."

"I know you did. That was the whole point." Ahsoka said shooting him a cheeky grin. "I learned from the best."

Anakin chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "What I wanna know is, how do _you_ feel, Aunt Ahsoka?"

"Oh, you're going _there_ , are you?" Ahsoka teased.

Padmé shook her head as the pair continued their normal banter.

* * *

Later that night after Anakin had recounted his Outer Rim adventures, Anakin, Padmé and Ahsoka stood on the balcony over looking the city.

Anakin leaned against the pillar closest to the door while Ahsoka stood with her folded across her chest while Padmé brushed her hair.

There was a romantic vibe in the air that made Ahsoka want to hurl. She had only stayed because Anakin had begged her and there weren't very many times where Anakin begged. He just wasn't the type. She rolled her eyes as comments flew back and forth between her two very much-loved up friends. She had seen them get all mushy before but never like this. It was official. They were both baby-brained.

The upcoming birth of Anakin and Padmé's first child was going to change their lives, no doubt but Ahsoka, as the couple's secret keeper, worried as to what would happen once the child's paternity was discovered. She had made countless attempts to not worry about it until the child was born but part of her couldn't help it.

Anakin's chuckle brought Ahsoka back to the land of the loved up.

"That's not exactly what I meant." Anakin said an easy smile.

"It's probably true." Padmé giggled as she bit her lip.

"Well, okay then." Ahsoka said pushing herself away from her post, allowing her arms to drop to her sides.

"We grossing you out, Snips?" Anakin teased.

Ahsoka turned to give him a nasty look over her shoulder. "I gotta go anyway. Curfew's in a few minutes."

Anakin snorted. "Padawans." He muttered under his breath.

"Heard that." Ahsoka snarled.

Padmé's eyes darted from the look of enjoyment on her husband's face to that of annoyance on his Padawan's face. A smile slid easily across her face. They were at it again.

"Go, Ahsoka." Padmé said with a kind smile. "Don't mind him." She cast a hard look at Anakin.

Anakin's face fell but he said nothing. It had been a good night and he wasn't about to ruin it.

"I will see you all tomorrow." Ahsoka gave a bow of her head before turning and heading from the balcony to the door.

"Goodnight, Miss Ahsoka." Motée said with a smile.

"Goodnight, Motée." Ahsoka patted the handmaiden on the arm before she stepped out the door.

The door slid shut behind the Padawan. Once outside, Ahsoka smiled to herself as she practically skipped back through the shadows towards the Jedi Temple.

* * *

An hour and a half after Ahsoka had left, Anakin and Padmé prepared for bed. It had been a long day but the excitement hadn't died away.

"You would be very proud of Ahsoka." Padmé said as Anakin pulled his tunic up over his head. She was laying in bed her datapad in her lap.

"Oh? And why would that be?" Anakin asked as he climbed into bed.

"She has managed to work around her studies and in order to look after me."

"Since when do you need looking after?"

"Since the morning sickness kicked in."

Anakin frowned. "You know, my mother use to be a mid-wife to many of the women on Tatooine."

"Really? You never told me that."

Anakin shrugged. "Didn't seem relevant. Besides, it's in the past."

Padmé gave him a sympathetic smile. "You have to talk about her at some point."

Anakin sighed. "I just wish she could be here with us. She would have loved her first grandchild."

The words sounded strange coming from his mouth but he swallowed in an attempt to forget he had said anything.

Padmé had come to know Anakin well enough to know when he needed to be comforted and when he didn't. This was one of those times when he needed to be reassured.

"Ani," she said gently. "Shmi loved you more than anything and though I didn't know her as well as you did, she would be incredibly proud of you for everything you have achieved. I know I am."

Anakin gave her a sad look. "You only say that because you're my wife and the mother of my child."

Padmé smiled a little as she snuggled up next to him, placing her datapad on her bedside table. "I'm not just saying that because I'm your wife or the mother of your child. I'm saying it on behalf of everyone that knows and admires you. Obi-Wan. The 501st. Ahsoka. I know how hard your life has been but our baby is going to change all that."

At that, Anakin smiled. "I thought you might say that."

"Hmm. I'm glad you can trust me." Padmé smiled.

"I think it's time we all got some sleep."

Padmé wanted to cry at her husband's mentioned of _all._ He hadn't said 'we both'. He had really taken becoming a father to heart. "I think you're right." She said as she reached over to kiss Anakin on the cheek.

"Goodnight little one." Anakin whispered, placing a hand on his wife's stomach.

Padmé smiled as they settled in for the night.

* * *

Anakin awoke the next morning to the sound of retching. _Padmé._ He thought as he jumped out of bed and hurried towards the en suite bathroom.

Opening the door, he found Padmé hunched over the fresher puking her guts up. _Morning sickness,_ he realised as he moved to her side to move her hair out of her face.

Padmé groaned. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this."

"I'm here to help, you know that." Anakin told her gently.

"I just want this baby to be born." Padmé said miserably as she rested her head against Anakin's shoulder.

Anakin instinctively wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close. "Seven months in and you're still complaining?" he teased.

Padmé smiled into his chest.

"It's gonna be alright. I promise. I'm not going anywhere."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Anakin and Padmé were dressed and ready for the day. Padmé still felt horrible and Anakin had grown unsure of how to comfort her. They both sat on the couches away from each other.

Anakin appeared worried but there was a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him to grin and bear it.

The sound of the apartment door pulled him from his thoughts.

Ahsoka entered the living area her hands were full and her shoulder bag slung over her chest. "Good morning, Master." She said cheerfully.

"Mornin' Snips." Anakin replied half-heartedly.

"Hey Padmé, how you feeling?" Ahsoka asked gently as she sat down beside the stricken senator.

Padmé groaned in a desperate attempt to stop herself from throwing up again. "Like I've been hit by a speeder everyday for seven months straight."

Ahsoka allowed herself to smile. "Here, I brought this for you." She reached over to hand Padmé a steam cup.

"Thank you." Padmé said taking the cup from her and taking a long sip.

Anakin leaned forward, trying to see what was in the cup as Padmé lowered it from her mouth. "What is it?" he asked.

"Herbal tea," Ahsoka said simply. "Works wonders on sick stomachs."

"Impressive," Anakin nodded. "Where did you learn that? I didn't teach you that."

"Barriss told me that Dex makes the best teas on Coruscant so when Padmé needed help, I took that knowledge and used it to my advantage." Ahsoka said.

It was no secret Ahsoka still felt uncomfortable with talking about her former friend. Barriss had been the one to frame her for the Jedi Temple Hangar bombing.

"You did well."

Padmé smiled behind her cup.

"Oh, this is for you." Ahsoka said handing Anakin a brown paper bag.

Anakin eyed her as he took the bag from her. He opened it and looked at up at her. "My favourite. How'd you know?"

Ahsoka grinned. "Old Dex let me in on a few of your food secrets while you were gone."

Anakin reached into the bag and pulled out a bread roll that looked like it was stuffed with butter or was it cheese? "Hmm. Thanks." He took a bite. "Better then ration bars any day of the week."

"Dex said it was on the house. Couldn't argue with him. You know he has a soft spot for us."

Anakin stopped mid-bite. "What?"

Ahsoka looked over at Padmé unsure if she should say anything at all. When Padmé nodded.

"Dex knows about the 'secret'."

Anakin's face went pale. "How does he know that? Did you tell him?" he said, his voice rising with what Ahsoka assumed was panic.

"Don't worry," Ahsoka reassured him. "He hasn't breathed a word."

"You know Dex is an old friend of Obi-Wan, don't you?" Anakin said harshly.

Ahsoka ignored this. "I'm aware of that but he's your friend too. Do you know what I believe?"

Anakin wasn't ready for a scolding. It was too early in the day and besides, he'd only been home twelve hours. He cursed himself for bringing the subject up in the first place. "What do you believe? I wanna hear this."

Padmé looked at him, wide eyed but said nothing.

"You are most subtle person ever." Ahsoka said as simply as she could.

Anakin gasped in mock offense. "Me? Subtle?"

Ahsoka raised her eyebrows. "You have got to be kidding. No wonder Master Obi-Wan is suspicious of you."

Padmé wanted to jump in to stop the pending argument but knew better then to intervene. These arguments were solely who Anakin and Ahsoka were. It was their way of getting things out of their systems.

"I said I wanted to keep this between the three of us," Anakin fumed. "How does Dex even know?"

Ahsoka gave him a look that clearly said 'You're an idiot.'

"What?" Anakin asked.

"Did you not listen to a word I have said? You are most subtle person in the history of the galaxy. You might think you're keeping your secret marriage to yourself but your body language says otherwise."

Anakin gaped at her like he was a goldfish struggling to breathe.

"You think so?"

Ahsoka slowly nodded, silently hoping that Anakin wasn't about to blow his top. She hoped she hadn't ruined his good mood.

"Dex knows when to keep his mouth shut," Ahsoka said, her tone sharper then she had intended. "I didn't have to say anything. According to him, you, Obi-Wan and Padmé were down at the diner a while ago and he got the vibe by the way you were looking at Padmé."

Padmé continued to watch the argument/discussion with keen ears.

"That is what I meant by your body language tells a story. How could you NOT know that?"

For once, Anakin didn't have a counter-argument. He knew Ahsoka had beaten him.

"You my young friend," Anakin said jabbing a finger at Ahsoka. "Have learned a little too much about politics."

Padmé, who had finished her tea, smiled down into her empty cup. She knew she was partially to blame for Ahsoka's political knowledge. "I think I am partially to blame for that." She found herself saying.

Ahsoka and Anakin turned from each other to face her.

"You aren't to blame, Padmé," Ahsoka told her. "I listen too much."

Anakin sniggered.

"Don't even go there." Ahsoka said through gritted teeth.

Padmé gave Anakin a dirty look.

"Listening is a good thing. You learn that way." Padmé told Ahsoka knowingly.

Frowning, Anakin got to his feet.

"Where are you going?" Padmé asked.

"To find Obi-Wan. I cannot believe my wife _and_ my Padawan are ganging up on me." He muttered.

"You gang up on me," Ahsoka retorted. "So I think we're even."

Anakin rolled his eyes and sat down again. Apparently, his little tantrum wasn't going to work.

"Anakin, you know Ahsoka and I love you just the way you are." Padmé told him.

"'Love' is a bit of a strong word don't you think, senator?"

Padmé ignored her and continued. "You are who you are. No one, not even us or Obi-Wan or even the council can change that."

Ahsoka's shoulders slumped. Winning an argument against Padmé was like trying to win a game of Sabacc blindfolded and without an Idiot's Array.

"Remind me to NEVER go up against you in a debate, Padmé." Ahsoka said nervously.

"I thought you already knew not to go up against my wife." Anakin smirked.

"Hey! I am still here and I have a name, Anakin." Padmé scowled.

"Okay," Ahsoka jumped to her feet. "I had better get going." Ahsoka said slinging her bag back over her chest.

"Where you going?" Anakin asked, suddenly having forgotten that he and Ahsoka had been arguing.

"Master Yoda has assigned me a few classes of younglings. He said it would pass the time between my studies. Little does he know, I've done a lot of my study here or in the library while on 'assignment' for you, Master." Suddenly, something came back to her. "Oh, I nearly forgot. Did you know Master Billaba had a Padawan?"

"No, I didn't. I don't actually know Master Depa all that well. I only know her from council meetings. Why?"

"I met her Padawan not long ago."

"What's he like?" Padmé asked.

"He's a bit odd but he's only a kid. Younger then me."

"How much younger?" Anakin wondered aloud.

"It's not like I have a crush on the guy," Ahsoka said casting a look of utter annoyance at Anakin. He could be overprotective of her at times. "Besides, I have a feeling he's going to grow up a little bit like someone else I know."

Anakin looked offended but said nothing.

"Oh, just for the record, the kid had to be about thirteen or fourteen at most. He wasn't in any of my classes when I was a youngling. I'll see you both later." Ahsoka turned towards the door, her bag swinging with her.

"You should get going too," Padmé said once Ahsoka had left the apartment. "You don't want to leave Obi-Wan waiting."

"I wish I had been kidding about that. I'd much rather stay here with you and the baby." Anakin pouted.

"I know and I would love for you to stay but remember we-"

"I know, I know. We have to keep up appearances. Like Ahsoka says, 'Screw the consequences.'"

Padmé moved from her couch to sit beside Anakin. She reached over and placed a hand to his cheek. "I love you."

"I know. I love you. I love you both." Anakin placed a hand over her stomach.

For a moment, Anakin froze when he felt movement. A smile spread across his face. "Did you feel that?"

"Yes." Padmé laughed.

"Is this the first time the baby has kicked?"

"No, it's not."

Anakin's smile faded but then reappeared. "As long as I'm home. I want to be a part of every moment."

"I'd like that," Padmé said leaning in to kiss him. "Now get going before Obi-Wan comes searching for you."

Anakin sighed dramatically. "Always ruining my fun." He rose from the couch.

"Go." Padmé ordered as she too rose from the couch.

"Be good little one," Anakin said as he lightly touched Padmé's stomach again. "Love you." He said giving Padmé one final kiss.

"Love you too."

Anakin then turned and headed out of the apartment.

* * *

Making her way down the maze of hallways that made up the teaching floor of the Jedi Temple, Ahsoka walked with a smile on her face. There were many things she was happy about. Anakin was home and _finally_ knew about the baby. She was also glad that she finally had someone to argue with again.

" _Ahsoka."_

The cheery Padawan turned to see Obi-Wan walking towards her.

"Master Obi-Wan," Ahsoka said with a smile. "Welcome back."

"Thank you, my dear." Obi-Wan smiled as he walked side by side with the teenager. "How has everything been here?"

"Unusually quiet," Ahsoka said, her hand tightening on the strap of her bag. "How was Anakin? I hope he didn't give you too much trouble."

"He did quite well. He missed you though."

"He did?" Ahsoka asked.

"Oh yes. He was often wondering out loud as to how you would analyse certain situations." Obi-Wan nodded.

Ahsoka was taken aback. If she had of known that then she would have called in to check on him.

"I had no idea he missed me _that_ much."

"You have had quite the influence on him. Whatever you have been doing, keep it up."

"Honestly, Master Kenobi, I cannot take all the credit for who Anakin has become today. You should share the credit."

"No," Obi-Wan shook his head dismissively. "You are the reason he is less reckless and everything else he has become. You should be proud to call him your Master."

"You know I am, Obi-Wan, you know I am."

"So, where you off to this fine morning?" Obi-Wan said, wanting to change the subject.

"Master Yoda has assigned me a few Youngling classes to teach."

"Still sucking up, are they?"

Ahsoka didn't have to ask to know that Obi-Wan was referring to the council. "You might say that, yeah." She tried to keep the sarcasm and the disgust out of her voice.

Obi-Wan didn't seem to notice. "Things are slowly changing Ahsoka. Be prepared. Now come. I will walk you to your first lesson."

Ahsoka gave the elder Jedi master a small smile before following him down the hall.

* * *

Padmé sat in her office scribbling down baby names. Her conversation with Anakin that morning had prompted an onslaught of baby names to pop into her head. Looking down at her list, she frowned.

 _Olivia._

 _Tia._

 _Celly._

 _Rouge._

 _Shmi._

 _Beru._

 _Breha._

 _Ahsoka._

 _Anakin._

 _Owen._

 _Ben._

 _Cad._

 _Rush._

 _Bail._

None of these names felt right. She knew the baby would share Anakin's last name. Many of the names she had written down where the names of people she and Anakin knew. She knew Anakin might not be up to call their baby if it was a girl after his late mother. To make matters worse, he would probably put his foot down at the names 'Owen' and 'Beru'. She knew he didn't exactly get along with his stepbrother or his stepsister-in-law despite he had only met them and his stepfather once.

Padmé wasn't entirely sure about naming the baby after Ahsoka. Sure, the teenager was the apple of Anakin's eye but naming their daughter after her? Maybe not. Padmé would only imagine the teasing and the annoying stories that would occur if this happened. She even knew Anakin would have said no to naming their son (if the baby was a boy) after Rush Clovis. Sure, he had saved Padmé's life but Anakin would be totally against it.

Olivia wasn't a name of anyone in particular. Padmé had merely thought the name was pretty. Olivia Skywalker. Hmm. Had a good ring to it. It was better then Anakin Skywalker Junior. Padmé shuddered and crossed the names that she didn't like out.

She had written the names Tia, Rouge and Celly down because she had a vague recollection of meeting three women Bail had introduced to her as his sisters. Prior to that meeting, which had occurred just after her reign as queen had ended, Padmé hadn't known that Bail had had sisters or any siblings for that matter.

The name Cad had randomly popped into her head. She crossed it out, as she didn't want her child named after a bounty hunter that had almost killed her husband.

Ben was an interesting one. She recalled a conversation she had had with Obi-Wan after he had returned from his undercover mission where he had faked his death. She remembered that Obi-Wan had used the codename 'Ben' to communicate with Master Windu.

Next on the list were the names 'Bail' and 'Breha'. The Organas were close friends of Padmé's. Bail had served as one of her mentors when she had entered the senate a few years earlier after her term as queen had ended. Breha, Bail's wife had become one of Bail and Padmé's biggest supporters. She was the Queen of Alderaan and believed that everyone deserved a fair go. She hated the Separatists as much as the last person and knew they would be stopped in some way, shape or form.

Sighing, Padmé crossed the names off the list. Not even the names of the rulers of Alderaan seemed to be right for her child. Pushing the list aside, she rested her chin on her hands, pondering on what she could do to draw inspiration for her child's name.

* * *

In the Jedi War Room, Anakin and Obi-Wan stood around a large holographic table.

While Obi-Wan explained some important battle tactic, Anakin didn't appear to be listening, a carefree expression lining his lips.

Obi-Wan stopped his explanation. "Anakin." He then waved his hand in front of his former Padawan's face, snapping his fingers in order to regain Anakin's attention.

Anakin blinked a few times to find Obi-Wan staring at him. "What?" he asked.

"You look happy. I have never seen you like this before. Come on. Out with it." Obi-Wan said.

"I, ah…" Anakin found himself getting tongue tired. "Nothing," He finally said. "Can't I be happy?"

"Of course you can be happy Anakin it's just," Obi-Wan shrugged. " I have never seen you _this_ happy."

Anakin wanted to tell Obi-Wan everything but knew better. Pending fatherhood was the most exciting thing to happen to him, well, ever. As much he was looking forward to holding his son or daughter in his arms, he knew he would have to work around the Jedi and especially Obi-Wan. He knew Obi-Wan would find out some day but now, he had to focus on keeping the baby a secret.

"There's no reason, it's just we have never been so close to victory before. I can just see the end of the war on the horizon."

A proud smile crossed Obi-Wan's face. "I quite agree. I don't agree however, with you beheading Dooku."

Anakin still felt guilty about that. "I know but I was under the Chancellor's influence."

"Yes, what is going on there, by the way? I know the Chancellor is one of your oldest friends but have you ever thought there was something not right about him?"

"You don't like him, do you?" Anakin said defensively.

"I never said that," Obi-Wan said, trying to keep Anakin from going into a rage. "Anakin, don't you think it's a little strange that the Chancellor has managed to say in office long after his term has expired?"

Anakin stared daggers at Obi-Wan. How dare he ask such a thing! Palpatine was the whole reason the Republic hadn't fallen apart already. "Where is all this coming from?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "The council has asked me to ask you to report on all the Chancellor's dealings. They want to know what he's up to."

"They want me to _spy_ on the Chancellor? But that's treason." Anakin protested.

"We're at war, Anakin."

Anakin pursed his lips. He knew the council and Obi-Wan would not have asked him to do this if they weren't worried. Then again, he remembered the last time Padmé had returned home from a session of the senate prior to the Outer Rim Sieges. She had come home looking worried and Padmé was rarely one to worry. She hadn't told him what she and her fellow senators had discussed but he had felt uneasy. Padmé wouldn't keep things from him unless she had to.

"Fine. I'll do it." He said, knowing he didn't have many options.

"Thank you, Anakin. The council will be most thankful."

"Yeah considering they hate me and Ahsoka."

"They don't hate-" Obi-Wan started to say before Anakin cut him off.

"Save it." With that, Anakin turned and marched out the door.

Obi-Wan watched him go. He might no longer have been the same young boy he had trained for so many years but Anakin was never going to change his attitude.

* * *

Classes had been over for an hour and Ahsoka was glad to have finished teaching for the day. Younglings were hard work. She could only imagine the babysitting duties Anakin and Padmé would assign her once the baby was born. That was if they didn't kick her to the curb first.

" _Ahsoka!"_

The teenager turned to see Anakin himself hurrying towards her.

"Hi Skyguy. I was just thinking about you."

"I need to ask you something." Anakin said once he had caught up with her.

Without waiting for her to respond, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the closest classroom.

"Hey! What's the deal?" Ahsoka protested as Anakin locked the door behind them.

"What's your view on Chancellor Palpatine?" Anakin asked.

Ahsoka blinked, clearly caught off guard. "What?"

"Just answer the question, Ahsoka."

"He's a nice guy, I suppose. Bit mysterious. I don't think he likes me very much for some reason. Why do you ask?"

"Obi-Wan just asked me, on behalf of the council to spy on him."

Ahsoka folded her arms. "Why would they ask you to do that? Why not just ask you themselves?"

"I dunno. I was wondering the same thing. That's why I wanted to ask you what you thought."

"Have you spoken to Padmé about this? Maybe she can give you her opinion."

"No, I don't want to worry her, besides I think I already know what she thinks."

"What do you mean?"

"Not long before we left for Naboo before the Outer Rim Sieges, she returned from a Senate session rather shaken. She wouldn't talk to me about it and when Obi-Wan mentioned the Chancellor I remembered that I can't for the life of me work out why."

Ahsoka thought for a moment. "Maybe Padmé's concern is connected."

"Maybe."

"Look, I was going to see Padmé anyway, I'll ask her about it. You go back to the Temple and meditate."

Anakin gave her a look of amusement. "Are you giving _me_ orders?"

"If I wasn't, you'd follow me."

"Too right. After all, Padmé _is_ my wife after all."

"First off, I know that and the more you say it, the more annoying it's going to get so go and I will tell you want I find out."

She went to turn to walk down the corridor but Anakin stopped her.

"Ahsoka, I'll take your bag back to your room, if you like. Saves you having to cart it around."

"Thanks," Ahsoka lifted the bag over her head and handed it to Anakin. "I'll see you later."

She turned and jogged down the corridor leaving Anakin with her bag.

* * *

" _They want him to do what?"_ Padmé asked in disbelief.

"They want Anakin to spy on the Chancellor." Ahsoka repeated trying not to sound annoyed.

The pair was in the senator's office.

"Why would they ask him to do that? They know how close Anakin and the Chancellor are." There was something in Padmé's voice that alerted Ahsoka to her uneasiness.

"Anakin mentioned your uneasiness whenever the Chancellor is mentioned. He mentioned you were uneasy when you got back from a senate session prior to the Outer Rim Sieges. Tell me about it."

Padmé looked at her young friend defiantly and yet she relaxed. The burden of having to keep the information of that meeting was weighing her down. "Okay, I'll tell you but you must only tell Anakin and no one else."

"You know the council has to be informed of this, right?"

"Yes, but you cannot say where you got this information from or who gave you the Intel. Clear?"

Ahsoka nodded.

"Okay, the last meeting of the senate that I attended before we headed to Naboo, was… alarming."

"Alarming how?"

"It was unusual because there were senators missing. Normally, a few will be missing but this session was different."

"Different how, exactly?"

"That's just it. There were more Separatists there then there were Republic senators."

"Who was there that you knew from our side of negotiations?"

"Bail. Riyo Chuchi. The rest are a blur. Something didn't feel right. It was as if the Separatists had outnumbered us." Padmé shuddered.

"But what is _your_ view on Palpatine?"

"He was one of my biggest supporters when I was queen. He was incredibly kind to me and acted like a father towards me but now I'm not too sure. He is still the same man he was back then but something's changed. I just don't know what. What does Anakin think about the issue?"

"He's far from happy about having to spy on Palpatine but he said he's going to do it."

"But he and Palpatine are old friends. Palpatine befriended him when he first arrived on Coruscant as a child. Why would he agree to do the council's bidding after everything they put you and him through?"

"I asked myself the same thing on the way over here. I think it may have had had something to do with you and the baby."

"Why us?"

"I think it has something to do with what happened with the senate incident."

Padmé looked away from her as if she was hiding something else.

"There's more, isn't there? Padmé, I know you want to protect your fellow senators but any information you can give me will help. It will help Anakin get back within the council's good graces."

Padmé considered this. Ahsoka was right. If something was to be done about Palpatine, the council could do it. It would make them see that they were wrong to be distrusting of Anakin and Ahsoka.

"Alright, what do you need?"

"Information that might help the council understand just what Palpatine might be up to."

Padmé pulled open one of her desk drawers and pulled out a datachip and handed it to Ahsoka.

"What's this?" the Padawan asked.

"Most of the information you need. On this datachip is holo-footage of the senate session from my perspective."

"Great, thanks." Ahsoka said as she slipped the chip into her tunic pocket.

"Oh, I've been meaning to tell you." Padmé was now practically bouncing on her toes.

"Tell me what?" Ahsoka asked, a smile forming on her lips.

"Anakin felt the baby kick this morning."

"Really? He didn't tell me that." Now Ahsoka was excited. "How did he take it?"

"He was overjoyed. Though, he was a little disappointed that it wasn't the first time the baby kicked. He said he'd be around more for these little events."

"He's really taking fatherhood to heart," Ahsoka said, clearly impressed. "I'm happy for you both. Really."

Padmé laughed. "Don't let him hear you say that."

"I know, I know. He'll never let me live it down."

"Good. Now, go. Remember. Speak of what we talked about to no one. But before you report back to Anakin, go and see Riyo. She might be able to give you more information."

"Great, thanks. And my lips are sealed." Ahsoka said as she turned towards the door.

Padmé nodded as she watched Anakin's Padawan headed out the door.

* * *

" _Ah, yes. I remember that day."_

Ahsoka had hoped and prayed that Senator Chuchi was in her office. Unlike with Padmé, Ahsoka didn't like going to other senators for help unless she had to. Padmé was family.

"What can you tell me?" Ahsoka asked. She was sitting across from Riyo at the Pantorian senator's office desk.

"I remember the Chancellor arrived late for the meeting and it ended much sooner then it was meant to."

"And that's a bad thing?" Ahsoka questioned.

"I would not say it is bad thing, it is just, the Chancellor is never late to any session of the senate. At first, none of us thought anything of it until Bail noticed something odd."

"What?"

"He noticed that the Chancellor's hand was wrinkly."

"That's nothing new, Riyo," Ahsoka said. "He's an old man. Of course his hands are wrinkly."

"Not from the way Bail described them. They were _beyond_ wrinkly. None of us said anything of course but it was a little unnerving."

"Who else saw this change?"

"Nobody, except…"

"Padmé. No wonder she was uneasy talking about it."

"How is Padmé, by the way? She looked unwell the last time I saw her."

Riyo sounded geninuely concerned. She and Padmé had a rather close bond.

"She's fine. She's getting better. Slowly."

"Give her my best when you see her and give your Master this."

Riyo handed Ahsoka what looked like a smaller version of a datachip.

"Ah, what is it?" Ahsoka asked, examining it.

"It is a micro datachip. It will fit most new datapads and holo-projectors."

"What about R2-model astromechs?"

"It should fit. Be careful not to let that chip out your sight, Ahsoka. If anyone within the CIS should get ahold it, who knows what would happen to us."

"I'll be careful. Senator Chuchi, thank you."

"You are very welcome, young one."

* * *

Anakin sat cross-legged on his bed in his quarters in the Temple. In his lap sat a holo report on Ventress. She had agreed to return to the Jedi Order under one small condition: she teach lightsabre technique classes.

Anakin and Obi-Wan had thought this had been a strange request coming from Ventress but they had allowed it and informed the council of Ventress' return.

The council were reluctant to allow an old enemy back amongst her old kin but Anakin had told them of the good Ventress had done. Despite his better judgment, he had even mentioned how she had helped him track down Barriss and how she had helped to free him and Obi-Wan from the cave they had been stuck in during their time away.

Much of the council hadn't been convinced but they had agreed to give Ventress a trial run.

Ventress had three months to prove herself to the council. She had the qualities of a great Jedi. She had just gone about it in the wrong way. If there was anyone who could show redemption, it was Ventress. Sure her time as a Jedi in the early days had been distressing for her after the death of her Master but she still had great promise.

" _Mind if I intrude?"_ a voice spoke up, dragging Anakin out of his daze.

Standing in the doorway was nothing other then Ahsoka.

"That was quick," Anakin commented as he checked the time on his datapad. "It only took you and hour and a half to get back to me."

"Haha," Ahsoka said dryly. "I got the information you wanted."

"You did?"

"If I hadn't I wouldn't be here."

Ahsoka stepped away from the door, allowing it to close. "Why were you looking at a holo-report on Ventress?"

"She's come back to the Order."

Ahsoka's mouth dropped open. "What? I always thought Ventress was an assassin from the beginning."

Anakin shook his head. "No. She left the Order for the Sith a few years before the war started. You were probably too young to remember. Anyway, change of subject. What have you got?"

Fishing the datachips out her pocket, Ahsoka handed them over.

"Oh, interesting; a micro datachip. Haven't seen one of these in a while."

"The bigger chip is from Padmé. The micro chip is from Riyo Chuchi."

"Riyo Chuchi? Why did you go to her?"

"Padmé said she might be able to help and. She gave me quite a bit of information, including what's on that chip."

Anakin looked down at the chip.

"The Palpatine issue has the Republic senators worried. According to Padmé and Riyo, the senate session you mentioned was odd. There was a reason Padmé didn't tell you anything about it."

"Go on." Anakin said as he shut off Ventress' file.

"Padmé and Bail Organa saw Palpatine's hand change."

"Change? Change how?" Anakin asked.

"You know how old people's skin go wrinkly, right?"

"Right."

"Well, Riyo said that Bail and Padmé saw his hands go wrinkly even more then normal."

"Why didn't Padmé tell me?"

Ahsoka shrugged. "Perhaps she was worried as to how you would react. She knows of your friendship with the Chancellor. She didn't want to jeopardize that."

"I suppose you're right there."

"Don't be hard on her. She was only looking out for you. That's, after all, what wives are meant to do for their husbands."

"I don't plan to." Anakin said giving Ahsoka a steely look of defiance.

"Good," Ahsoka said with her arms now crossed over her chest. "What's our next move?"

" _Our_ next move? No, no. There is no _our._ The council assigned me and me alone to undertake this. I have to do this, Ahsoka. For my family."

"Are you forgetting everything we talked about?" Ahsoka asked in disbelief.

Anakin stared at her, ready to cop her abuse.

"You said yourself that I was family to you and Padmé. Let me help. Shutting me out isn't going to do you any favors. I know you're going through a rough time at the moment with everything the council has put the both of us though but admit it, you need my help."

"Oh? And explain to me why, you need to help me."

"I can get information you won't be able to get."

"What do you mean 'information I won't be able to get'?"

"I know how much the Chancellor has been influencing you. He has turned you almost completely against the senate. If he continues, he'll turn you against the Jedi Order too and we cannot afford to lose you to him."

"You _really_ think the Chancellor is a bad guy, don't you?"

"I know something is off. Haven't you noticed that every time you are summoned into his office, I'm made to stay outside?"

Anakin thought about this. He hadn't thought about that the Chancellor's treatment of Ahsoka had been out of the ordinary. But now that he thought about it, it was a bit out there.

"Now that you mention it, you're right. I'm sorry I didn't catch it sooner."

"Don't worry about it," Ahsoka lightly punched Anakin in the arm. "You weren't to know. Anyway, I'd better get going." She rose from the bed.

"Where're you goin'?" Anakin asked.

"Padmé wanted to see me about something."

"Oh, now _that_ is an honour. Joinin' political circles now, are we, Snips?" Anakin joked.

"No. She didn't say what she wanted to see me about but it sounded urgent."

"Well, you'd better get moving. Don't wanna keep my wife waiting."

"Yeah, keeping say the word 'wife' and it will become the _only_ thing you will say for the rest of your life."

"That a threat, Snips?" Anakin teased.

Ahsoka scowled at him before a smile started to form on her face.

Chuckling, Anakin shook his head. "Go. I'll see you later."

The door of the room slid up and Ahsoka left, leaving Anakin still laughing.

* * *

As she walked towards the Senate Apartment Complex, Ahsoka tried to work out why Padmé wanted to see her.

She knew she wasn't in trouble. She knew everything was fine with the baby. It either had to be a thank you or a scolding and it couldn't be the latter.

Upon reaching the apartment, Ahsoka hesitated. She didn't normally but she sensed something. Something that was going to make the situation much more complicated. Slipping inside, she walked towards her destination: the living area.

"Padmé?"

Padmé looked up from her work to see Ahsoka round the corner. "Good you made it." She said as she struggled to rise to her feet.

Ahsoka jumped forward and pulled the heavily pregnant senator to her feet.

"I got your message. What's up?"

Padmé looked away and bit her lip. "I asked you here because I think you should be the first know."

Ahsoka frowned as Padmé gestured towards Motée who was standing behind the sofa closest to them.

The handmaiden disappeared for a moment before remerging with a cloaked figure.

The figure's cloak was a deep red colour and there was something familiar about the figure.

Padmé nodded to the figure and the figure pulled back the hood to reveal a blonde haired woman.

Ahsoka's mouth dropped open. "Duchess Satine?"

Satine gave the Padawan a kind smile. "Hello young Ahsoka."

Ahsoka's mind made an attempt to process the information that had been thrust into her hands. She knew the Duchess of Mandalore was alive, Anakin had told her and Padmé back when Ahsoka had confessed to knowing about their marriage. Having the duchess standing in front of her had Ahsoka wondering why a million questions were now rattling around inside her head.

"How is this possible?" Ahsoka gasped. "I thought Obi-Wan said he wouldn't tell Anakin as to where you were."

Satine gave her a smile.

"He didn't," Padmé said. "Come and sit. I'm sure Satine will be more then willing to tell you everything."

Ahsoka didn't hesitate as she moved over towards the closest couch.

Padmé moved to sit beside her while Satine sat opposite them.

"I know you have a lot of questions, Ahsoka."

Ahsoka nodded. "You could say that."

"Ask me anything you want."

"Okay, well first off, why are you here and why now?"

Satine and Padmé looked at each other before returning their gazes to the Padawan.

"Obi-Wan contacted me and thought it might be wise if I show myself."

"How do you know Maul won't come after you?" Padmé asked. Anakin had filled her in on what he knew.

"Maul has simply vanished. No one has seen him since he tried to kill me."

"That brings me to my next question," said Ahsoka. "How where you able to survive being run through with a lightsabre?"

"Obi-Wan knew Maul was going to kill me so he came up with an idea. There is a little known secret amongst the cloners on Kamino that Obi-Wan knew from his investigation into Padmé's near assassination before the beginning of the war. There is a device that makes it appear that a lightsabre has passed through a human body that the Kaminoians created. Obi-Wan told me that faking my death would benefit me as Maul and anyone else who wants me dead would stop their pursuits of me."

"So this device is worn under clothing?"

"Yes," Satine said with a curt nod. "It is attached to the skin over the heart and it is flexible so the assailant doesn't know it is there."

"From what I remember hearing, Maul was glad he was able to get revenge of Obi-Wan after what he did to him during the Invasion on Naboo."

"That's right. That was when he disappeared."

"Where do you think he went?"

"Some rumors have indicated that he has returned to his mother on Dathomir, some say he was so satisfied with getting revenge on Obi-Wan that he killed himself and that his body currently lays at the bottom of a chasm on some unknown world. No one really knows."

Ahsoka shuddered. She hadn't actually gone up against Maul and she was glad she hadn't. She had heard that he was hell bent on destroying Obi-Wan and he had achieved that, or so he believed.

"Does Obi-Wan know you're here?" Padmé asked the question that had been sitting on Ahsoka's tongue from the moment Satine had revealed herself.

"Yes. He was the one that advised me to reveal myself to Padmé."

"But why bring me into it?" Ahsoka questioned.

"Because I believe I can help Anakin."

"How did you know about that?"

"I told her." Padmé said. "Before you got here, I filled her in on Anakin's assignment from the council."

It was obvious to Ahsoka that Padmé hadn't bothered to use Anakin's formal title. Casting a questioning look at the senator, Ahsoka received her answer when Padmé nodded.

"Yes, I know about Padmé and Anakin." Satine said having read Ahsoka's silent question. "Padmé has explained everything to me and I wish to help."

"How? Everybody thinks you're dead." Ahsoka said, puzzled.

"I have some information that he might find useful."

"I'm listening."

Satine launched into the information that she had on Palpatine and anyone associated with him.

"He did what?" Padmé asked in disbelief.

"I cannot believe the chancellor would orchestrate something as vile as dismissing Senators who wouldn't agree with him." Ahsoka said once Satine had stopped talking.

"Most of us simply agreed with him so we could do the opposite." Padmé shrugged.

"Can we use this information against him?"

"It depends." Satine said.

"Depends on what? We have information against him, why not use it to our advantage?"

Satine and Padmé exchanged looks.

"It would be our word and that of Anakin's and the council's against his. Who's the Senate going to believe? The Jedi or their leader?" Padmé said.

The senate no matter whose side anyone was on, would undoubtedly side with the Chancellor out of fear being swatted aside like worthless insects.

Ahsoka thought for a moment. "Satine," she said turning to the dutchess. "You have to reveal you're still alive."

Satine blinked. "I cannot."

"Why not? You have influence in the Senate. If they see that you're alive, maybe, just maybe, the other senators might be persuaded."

Satine shook her head. "No. Obi-Wan has said that it will be safer for me to reveal myself once the Chancellor is out of office."

"Wait," Ahsoka said waving her hands. "What does the Chancellor have to do with you revealing yourself being alive?"

Satine sighed. She could see Anakin in the teenager. "I believe that Palpatine and Maul may be linked."

"How do you figure that?" Ahsoka said, wide eyed.

"I don't know but if we can find the link then maybe we can we can use it to help Anakin." Satine said. There was a lot more confidence in the duchess' voice then there had been previously and that was good to hear.

"Okay," Ahsoka said jumping to her feet. "I will give whatever information you have just given me to Anakin the next time I see him. In the meantime, keep out of sight, your ladyship." Ahsoka said as she looked at Satine.

"I will keep that in mind, young one." Satine bowed her head.

Ahsoka bowed her head in acknowledgement before turning her gaze to Padmé. "I'll go find Anakin now and see if he has anything useful that might help."

"Very well, Ahsoka," Padmé sighed. "I will help Satine in any way I can."

Ahsoka nodded and turned for the door.

* * *

Anakin stormed out of archives section of the library. He had been unable to dig up anything on Palpatine or anyone he might be associated with. It was as if every file on everyone that might be working around or with Palpatine or whatever twisted scheme he might be working on had just been wiped and ceased to have existed.

"Did you find what you were looking for Master Skywalker?" Librarian Jocasta Nu asked kindly.

"No, I didn't, Madam Librarian," Anakin sighed, trying to keep his temper under control. "Can I ask you something, Master Nu?"

"Of course, my dear boy. Anything." Jocasta had always been kind to Anakin and to Ahsoka. Much like Master Fisto and Master Plo, Jocasta didn't find Anakin and Ahsoka untrustworthy. She liked their thirst for knowledge. She had also volunteered at times to aid Ahsoka whenever she needed help on her studies.

"What do you know about the Sith?" Anakin asked.

Jocasta's face whitened for a moment before returning to its ordinary colour. "Not much, I'm afraid. Much like everyone else, there has not been much information added to the archives for a millennium. Why do you ask, Anakin?"

Anakin looked around to see if anyone was looking or listening. When he was satisfied, he turned to face the old librarian. "The council has assigned to me to spy on the Chancellor."

"Whatever for?" Jocasta murmured.

"They have reason to believe that he is up to something. I have been pondering over what he might be doing but have found nothing. The last thing I thought of was maybe he might be involved with the Sith."

"You might be onto something there, my dear boy."

"I have been scouring the archives for three hours and have found nothing." Anakin didn't bother to hide his frustration.

"I might have something that might help." Jocasta said. "Come. This way."

The old Jedi led Anakin back towards the archives section. She led him through aisles and down a couple of hallways Anakin had never known were even in here. In fact, he hadn't even been aware that the library was bigger then it appeared.

Finally, the pair stopped at a panel of wall.

"Urgh…"

Jocasta held up a finger and tapped a section of the wall with her fingernail.

Anakin watched with interest as a keypad slid out of the wall and Jocasta typed in a code.

The keypad slide back into place and the section of wall slid up, revealing a hidden room.

"What I am about to give you," Jocasta said gravely. "Must not reach the ears of the Senate until the Chancellor is out of office. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Master." Anakin nodded.

Jocasta turned and walked into the room, leaving Anakin standing at the doorway. She pulled her lightsabre from her belt and activated it, its blue blade shedding light on her task.

Anakin could see that the item in front of Madame Nu was levitating yet he did not know how. There was no Force presence from what he could sense so it had to be something else. Something he, in all his years of mechanics had not come across.

Jocasta plucked the object from its invisible holder and closed her hand around it before shutting her lightsabre off and walking to join Anakin outside the room. Once she left the room, the panel slid down and locked.

"Information this holocron holds, is the key to the survival of not just the Jedi Order but to the survival of the Republic as a whole." Jocasta placed the holocron into Anakin's organic hand and closed his fingers around it.

Anakin looked down at his closed fingers. "I've never seen a holocron this small before."

"I suppose you have seen micro data chips before?"

Anakin thought about the micro data chip that Senator Chuchi had given Ahsoka and was now well hidden in his quarters in the Temple. "Yes."

"Micro holocrons are very rare and are only made by the most skilled Jedi librarians. The one I have given you is over a hundred years old. It had been moved so many times, no one knows where it originated from or how old it might actually be."

"What's on it?"

"That I cannot tell you as I do not even know. Heed my instructions, Anakin and you shall be rewarded."

As much as Anakin hated riddles, he knew he couldn't complain as he too spoke in riddles for Ahsoka who hated them just as much. Following Madame Nu back into the main library, Anakin pondered over what might be on the micro holocron that was so important. He said farewell to Madame Nu and headed towards the exit, the holocron still clutched in his hand.

" _Master!"_

Anakin stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of Ahsoka running towards him.

"Snips, I was just coming to find you."

"I have more information for you."

"I have some more too." Anakin said showing Ahsoka the holocron Master Nu had given him.

"Is that a micro holocron?" Ahsoka asked.

"Yeah. You've heard of them?"

"Yeah, I mean I've read about them but I never thought they'd exist. What's on it?"

"I have no idea. Madame Nu doesn't even know. She said never to open it until the Chancellor was out of power."

"Why?" Ahsoka frowned.

Anakin shrugged. "Haven't got a clue. Whatever the reason, it has to be big."

Ahsoka bit her lip and nodded. "Let's take a break and focus on something else."

Anakin relaxed and rested a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder. "I couldn't agree more with you."

* * *

" _I'm glad you're taking a break."_

Anakin and Ahsoka were greeted by Padmé at the front entrance to the apartment.

"Honestly," Ahsoka said. "I agree. It was _my_ idea."

"I'm glad one of you had enough sense to know when enough was enough." Padmé cast a hard look at Anakin. "Come and sit. You both look you're about to fall over."

The Jedi pair followed Padmé down into the living area and seated themselves on one couch while the senator sat opposite them.

"How have things been here?" Anakin asked as he moved over to sit beside his wife. His hand instinctively went to rest on her stomach.

"Things have been quiet for a change."

"No change from your inner circle?" Ahsoka asked.

Padmé shook her head. "No. Riyo has been trying to talk them around but they are holding firm in their decision."

"Is Senator Mothma leading the charge?" Anakin asked.

Padmé nodded.

"That doesn't surprise me." said Ahsoka. "She could make a good chancellor. She would run the Republic the way it _should_ be. No war. No conflict."

"We will just have to see where things go. We don't want Palpatine knowing of this."

"What if he already knows? Ahsoka asked.

"If he does, that will be the end of the Republic."

A look of fear crossed Ahsoka's face.

Anakin moved closer to Padmé, wrapping an arm protectively around her as she rested her head on his shoulder.

* * *

 _So Satine's alive and she wants to help. Things are able to get interesting._

 _To be Continued..._


	5. Ch 4: Darkness Descends

**A/N:** _Evening all! Here's the next chapter of Goodness in Life. We are another chapter closer to Palpatine's ousting, so to speak. This chapter we see Ventress in a vital role. We never got to see her go back to her Jedi roots in Clone Wars and for anyone who has read the novel Dark Disciple will what happens to her. I haven't read the book but I know what the outcome is._ _Ventress is slowly going back to her Jedi roots and she slowly but surely returning to the Light Side of the Force. I always thought she was an interesting character and I think the animation team and Nika Futterman who provided Ventress' voice did an excellent job at bringing her life. There will be more Ventress in later chapters but for now, the story will focus on Anakin, Padmé, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, the birth of Luke and Leia and the downfall of Palpatine. There are also a new AU things in terms of Sith and Jedi philsophies in this chapter so please don't comment on it in reviews. I know I've made mistakes.  
_

* * *

 **Chapter 04: Darkness Descends**

* * *

The next few weeks went by in a blur as Anakin started to piece together a case that would help the council in their negotiations to get the Senate to call for a vote of no confidence.

Ahsoka and Padmé were helping in any way they could but even their resources were limited.

"It's official," Ahsoka said as she walked into Padmé's living area one rainy Sunday morning. "I am out of resources."

"What do you mean you're out?" Anakin snorted in amusement. "There are plenty of other resources out there you could use."

"Not for me there's not. I have run my course." Ahsoka flopped down on the floor, lying on her back.

"I'm out too." Padmé sighed.

"What? How can _you_ be out of resources?"

"None of my inner circle other then Riyo and Bail are willing to participate. Mon thinks there are too many risks. The others agree."

"Wait, is this the same inner circle you were trapped with during Cad Bane's hostage crisis?" Ahsoka asked from the floor.

"The same."

"And this is the same group who is not 'in the know'?"

"Yes. Only Bail knows. You knew that."

"So now what?" Anakin asked.

After a moment, Ahsoka shot up into a sitting position. "I think I know someone who might be able to help us."

"Who?" Anakin asked.

"Ventress."

Anakin's jaw dropped.

Padmé simply stared at Ahsoka like she had lost her mind.

"Ventress? Have you totally lost your mind?" Anakin gasped.

"Why not? She's been Dooku's apprentice. She would have access to information we wouldn't dream of getting otherwise."

Anakin and Padmé looked at each other.

Ahsoka had come to know Anakin and Padmé well enough to know what their glances meant. The one they were exchanging currently meant they were having a silent agreement.

"Okay," Anakin said after a moment. "You have a point."

This took Ahsoka by surprise. "I do?"

Anakin nodded. "I kinda owe her for helping me save you and for her saving my hide and Obi-Wan's during the Sieges."

"All the more reason to ask her for help." Ahsoka agreed.

"How do you know Ventress won't double cross you?" Padmé asked.

"That's the thing. We don't. We have to hope and pray that she doesn't."

Anakin looked over at Ahsoka and beamed.

The Padawan grinned in return.

"Okay, but please be careful. I don't want our child to be born fatherless."

Anakin leaned in to kiss his wife on the cheek. "Ahsoka won't let anything happen to me, will you Snips?" he cast a playful look at Ahsoka who rolled her eyes.

"Keep telling yourself that, Master." She murmured.

Padmé beamed, forcing herself not to laugh at the antics playing out before her.

"Shall me go and get this over and done with?" Anakin said, rising from the couch.

Ahsoka rose too.

* * *

Asajj Ventess had been quite the Jedi in her time. She had only been a Padawan when her master had been killed. She had become close to her master and had seen him as a father figure. She had loved him in a non-romantic kind of way. Now that she thought about it, her bond with her late master reminded her of the bond between Skywalker and Tano.

She shook in the shadows of a hallway in the Jedi Temple where she had once had quarters. She remembered how her master use to visit her and train her in the training rooms on the same floor. The place oddly still felt like home and she had not had a home in a really long time.

" _Ventress!"_

The former assassin turned to see young Tano and Skywalker heading towards her.

The Padawan seemed to be in better spirits then the last time she had seen her. The girl was no longer on the run and being persecuted for something she didn't do.

Ventress saw the look of surprise cross the teenager's face before it had appeared.

"Master Skywalker," Ventress nodded in acknowledgement. "What do I owe this pleasure?"

"I'm not here for me, Ventress," Skywalker said curtly. "I'm here because Ahsoka begged me."

Ventress turned her gaze from the teenager who lingered at Skywalker's side.

"Young Ahsoka, What can I do for you?"

Ventress and Anakin weren't exactly friends but they weren't exactly enemies either. They were civil and that was the main thing. They had helped cleared Ahsoka from death and that was the reason for their civil terms.

"We need your help." Tano said, bringing Ventress out of her daze. "What do you know about Sheev Palpatine? Other then the fact he is the Chancellor."

"I know he has a lot of influence over every single senator in the Senate," Ventress said thoughtfully. "Why do you ask?"

"The council has asked me to spy on him," Skywalker told her. "They want to know what he is up to. We have run out of leads."

Ventress ran a hand through her short cut hair. "I know my former Master, Count Dooku worked under a mysterious figure known only as Darth Sidious. Other then that, I don't know whether that will help you."

"No," Skyalker said quickly. "It's enough. I cannot believe I am saying this but thank you, Ventress."

Ventress nodded.

Tano beamed thankfully. "Love the hair, Ventress."

Ventress watched as Skywalker grabbed his Padawan by the shoulders, turned her around and pushed her down the corridor.

* * *

"' _Love the hair'?_ Seriously?" Anakin asked as he pushed Ahsoka around the corner.

"There's nothing wrong with giving her a compliment, Anakin." Ahsoka mumbled. "If I could change my look, she can too."

"She's different. Do you know what a bald head represents?" Anakin asked.

"No, actually. I've never known what a baldhead represents. What _does_ it mean?"

"It's an ancient Sith tradition. After Dooku tried to have Ventress assassinated, she left the ranks of the Sith and became a bounty hunter briefly before she ran across Obi-Wan and I."

"So, her leaving the Sith and growing her hair back is like giving the Sith the middle finger?"

"Precisely." Anakin nodded. "But I would not say that to her, of course."

"I have never seen her on the verge of _not_ wanting to kill us before."

"Imagine my surprise when Obi-Wan and I ran into her."

Silence.

The pair trudged down the corridor and back into the main hallways that made up the Temple.

Since the bombing, Ahsoka had been having tiny flashes of that day and her time on the run. She had used meditation and other methods to make herself forget those terrible few days but not all of them were going away. She still had flashes of standing there watching as the innocent had been murdered.

Padmé had done everything she could to help Ahsoka forget that terrible day. The lunches, the walks and the late night conversations did everything but dull the memories.

"Master?" Ahsoka said after a moment.

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"You know you can ask me anything, Snips." Anakin offered his Padawan a kind smile as they stopped in the middle of the corridor.

"What happens if this plan of the council's fails? What if he knows about, you know and reveals it to the galaxy?"

Anakin looked uncertain for the first time in a long time. "We will deal with that if it happens. Right now, we need to make sure that it doesn't. If it does, we'll handle it together as a family. That's a promise."

Ahsoka looked at him, knowing that there was hope in his words. While she might have only been his Padawan and his 'honorary' little sister, she looked at him like she was a little kid looking at something puzzling and scary all at once.

Anakin wrapped an arm around his Padawan's shoulders and guided her back towards the Senate Apartment Complex.

* * *

Chancellor Palpatine sat in his office, his fingers laced together, an evil smirk crossing his face.

Skywalker had killed Dooku, yet there was a set back. A couple to be exact. Skywalker's Padawan hadn't quit the Jedi Order after she had been framed and Amidala wasn't going to die in childbirth.

No matter. There were other ways to get Skywalker to join the Dark Side. Palpatine knew that his plan was going to work but he had to be careful that his identity as Darth Sidious was not revealed to anyone but Skywalker upon his fall to the Dark Side.

Leaning back in his chair, Palpatine knew Skywalker was either going to join him or die to protect his family.

* * *

Padmé's giggles were enough to lighten the mood.

"At least you're in a good mood." Ahsoka said with a smile.

"Hmm." Padmé said, sliding a hand over her stomach. She was half-lying, half-sitting in Anakin's lap while Ahsoka sat across from them. "What did you both get up to today?"

"Still researching Palpatine." Anakin said half-heartedly.

Padmé reached up to touch his cheek.

"You both work yourselves too hard," the senator stated gently. "You both need a break."

Ahsoka shook her head. "We don't have time for a break."

"When's your deadline?"

"Tomorrow night." Anakin responded, playing with a strand of Padmé's hair.

"Oh." Padmé said, clearly disappointed.

"Don't worry," Ahsoka said sitting up straight. "We'll join you as soon as the meeting is over."

This gave Padmé a little relief. She enjoyed whatever time she could get with her husband and honorary sister-in-law.

"Ahsoka?"

"Yeah?"

Padmé bit her lip. "I have been thinking and hope Anakin will agree with me on this." She looked up to see Anakin frowning down at her. "I was thinking, how would you feel if I asked you to be the baby's godmother?"

Anakin continued to stare down at her but Padmé ignored him.

Ahsoka opened and closed her mouth a couple of times but no words came out.

"It's okay, you don't have say yes." Padmé said quickly.

"No, no, I'd be honored." Ahsoka grinned.

"You would?" Anakin said, utterly surprised.

Ahsoka nodded. "It's not everyday a Padawan becomes so close to her master that she considers him her big brother." A smug and teasing look crossed Ahsoka's face.

Anakin returned the smirk. "Well, allow me to be first say, welcome to the Skywalker family, _Aunt_ Ahsoka."

Padmé laughed at the look that formed on Ahsoka's face.

"That is the second time you have called me that."

"Sorry." Anakin chuckled.

"No, it's fine. I actually like it. _Aunt_ Ahsoka. Hmm. It has a good ring to it, don't you think?"

Padmé nodded in agreement. "I quite agree." She grinned lovingly up at Anakin who returned the grin before kissing her forehead.

"So, Baby Skywalker. What do you guys think it is?" Ahsoka asked, the first part of her statement thoughtful.

"Girl." Anakin grinned.

"Boy." Padmé replied at the same time.

"Which one?" Ahsoka asked, looking between each of her friends.

Anakin and Padmé looked at her, suddenly unsure of themselves.

"Well?" Ahsoka said, amused by the silence.

Anakin cleared his throat. "Whatever the baby is, it will be loved."

Ahsoka could detect uncertainty in Anakin's tone. She knew that he wanted a daughter while Padmé had just hinted that she wanted a son.

Images began to take shape in Ahsoka's mind.

She could see a child form with blonde hair and blue eyes. A boy.

The boy disappeared and was replaced by a girl with wavy chestnut brown hair and chocolate brown eyes.

" _Ahsoka?"_

Ahsoka jerked out of her vision to see Anakin waving a hand in front of her face.

"Huh?" Ahsoka blinked.

"You still alive in there?" Anakin joked.

"Yeah. Sorry, I blacked out for a moment."

Padmé knew the look well enough to know that Ahsoka had had a vision of the future. "What did you see?"

"Something wonderful. Something I think will change all of our lives."

"Tell us." Anakin said sitting back across from his Padawan.

Ahsoka sighed, unable to keep the smile from forming on her face. "I saw a little boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. I also saw a little girl with hazelnut brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. They were… beautiful." Happy tears fell down Ahsoka's face.

Anakin and Padmé looked at each other, unable to find words to express their happiness. They were either going to have at least two children but they didn't know which was going to come first.

If Ahsoka's vision was correct, would their son be first and grow to mirror his father? Perhaps their daughter was first and would become as beautiful as her mother? Whatever the case, Anakin was right. The child would be loved and would have a much happier childhood then Anakin had had while he was living on Tatooine.

Ahsoka looked up at her friends, her eyes shining with admiration. She had worked with Anakin and Padmé plenty of times in the past but being playing a part in their unborn child's life was going to be one hell of a thrill ride.

"Have you decided whose last name the baby is going to have?" Ahsoka asked, the words tumbling from her mouth before she could stop them.

"I think you just answered your own question, Snips." Anakin answered.

"You do realise that if the child has Skywalker as his or her last name, it will be like having a target on their forehead, right?"

"We're aware of that." Padmé said kindly.

"It would be the same if the baby had Amidala or Naberrie, wouldn't it?"

"No, we decided that the baby would be a Skywalker." Padmé said as she exchanged looks with Anakin. She could sense Ahsoka's unease despite not being Force sensitive. She knew Ahsoka's moods just as Ahsoka knew Anakin's.

Ahsoka frowned. She was uncomfortable with this as she knew if the baby had Anakin's last name, it would certainly put him in the firing line for expulsion and she would lose him as her master.

"If the council and/or the Queen of Naboo finds out that you two had a child, they'd have you both stood down."

"We've considered everything in that aspect, Ahsoka," Anakin said, his arms tightening around Padmé. "At this point, we've both gotten to the point now where we've come to realise that our family is more important then our careers. Besides, it's not like the baby was planned."

Ahsoka's mouth dropped open. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Anakin Skywalker, the galaxy's poster pin-up boy was actually considering leaving the Jedi Order? It would have made Ahsoka laugh if she hadn't seen the dark glint in Anakin's eyes. It was a look she had seen before. She hated that look though this was the first time it was directed at her.

"Ani." Padmé elbowed him.

"The point is Snips is that no matter what we decide, it is what is best for our family."

Ahsoka bit her lip. "I know and I will support you in whatever you decide to do. I'm not doing this because I have to. I'm doing it this because I _want_ to."

"Whoa wait." Anakin said shaking his head. "You're willing to give up your career for us? You know I won't let you do that."

Ahsoka lifted her chin defiantly. "I know you won't but remember. We're family. You. Me. Padmé. Little Skywalker," Ahsoka reached across and placed a hand on Padmé's belly. "My point is I'm here. Remember our motto, Skyguy?"

Anakin stared at her. "I didn't know we _had_ a motto."

"Oh, I wanna hear this." Padmé muttered.

"I jump. You jump. I thought you would remember that." Ahsoka smirked as she crossed her arms over her chest, clearly satisfied.

Anakin gave her a tight-lipped smirk before allowing his lips to return to a straight line.

"We need to work around everything before the baby is born," Padmé said. "I do not want our son or daughter to grow up in a galaxy where no one knows they exist."

Ahsoka nodded. "I agree. It's only going to get harder and harder. Don't you think its gonna look suspicious if senators suddenly can hear a baby crying? They're going to start asking questions."

Now it was Anakin's turn to bite his lip. "Alright, you both have a point. When the time comes, I I'll take the fall."

Ahsoka and Padmé looked at him in shock.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" Ahsoka squeaked.

"I'm the baby's father. I have to do my part."

"I understand that, Anakin but it'll ruin your career. Do you really want that?" Ahsoka said, flustered.

"If the council has to expel me then so be it." Anakin said firmly.

"What about Ahsoka?" Padmé asked. "You can't just leave her. The council won't accept it."

"Accept what exactly?" Ahsoka scoffed. "They hate Anakin like they hate me."

"I don't think they _hate_ you, Ahsoka," Padmé stated gently. "I think they don't _understand_ you."

Ahsoka and Anakin exchanged looks of open distain.

"Always looking at situations from a political perspective." Anakin joked, shaking his head.

Padmé elbowed him. "No, I'm not. All I am saying is that you have to _show_ the council that you can be trusted."

"And how are we or specifically me suppose to do that when the council believes I am capable of being a terrorist?"

"You like teaching, don't you?" Padmé prompted.

"Yeah."

"Well, there's your answer. Show the council that you can be trusted by teaching younglings about the threat of terrorism."

"Won't that make me more 'evil' in the eyes of the council?"

"No," Anakin said speaking up for the first time since the beginning of the conversation. "Padmé's got a valid point. If you teach the younglings about terrorism and impress the council, maybe, just maybe you might get back in their good graces."

"Do you think it would work?"

"Absolutely." Padmé nodded.

Ahsoka grinned, her mind churning with ideas beginning to form. "Can we get back to the issue at hand please?"

"We'll handle the situation when it comes up, but for now we just need to focus on the here and now." Anakin said fixing Ahsoka with a look that said 'drop the subject.'

Ahsoka's shoulders slumped but she said nothing more and decided to change the subject. "So what's my first official act as godmother?"

Anakin and Padmé looked at each other, amazed at Ahsoka's choice of topic change.

"Behave yourself and we'll see." Anakin said.

Ahsoka groaned as her head dropped into her hands. "You aren't my father." She mumbled.

"No, I'm your brother."

Padmé watched as the pair argued, with the argument going back and forth like a tennis match.

* * *

A couple of days after her heart to heart chat with Anakin and Padmé, Ahsoka felt at ease despite the fact of what she knew was coming.

Sitting on her bed in her quarters, she thought about all the things that might happen to Anakin if the council decided to expel him. She couldn't help it. She knew his reputation as the 'Hero with No Fear' would be tarnished and she knew people would look down upon him because of his secrets.

At times she wanted to scream at him and Padmé for being so reckless but she knew she couldn't and knew that she wouldn't. It was their issue not hers but she had agreed to lend a helping hand wherever she could. They were her friends after all and she had volunteered to help them out. She had seen the relief on both their faces. They had been there for her when no one else had been. They had opened up to her when they had been trapped in a world of secrets and lies. She couldn't let them down now. She couldn't let her godchild down.

Getting up and going over to her desk, Ahsoka felt her foot brush something on the floor. With her foot still hovering in mid-air, she reached down to find the kyber crystal from her old lightsabre. She picked it up and examined it. Pursing her lips, she stuffed it into her tunic pocket and grabbed a ration bar from the box on her desk chair.

An idea struck her, causing her to smile. Jumping over the stuff still scattered on the floor, she headed for the door. She stopped to look back at her room, a mess as normal. She knew when she got back she was going to have to clean up. She then turned and bolted down the hall.

* * *

Ahsoka skidded to a halt outside Anakin's quarters. Before she could enter however, she cried out, falling to her hands and knees. The door slid up.

"Ahsoka!" Without hesitating, Anakin scooped his Padawan up and carried her into the room.

The door slid shut.

Ahsoka groaned.

"It's alright," Anakin said as he sat down her on the bed. "I've got you."

"Master?" she moaned as she struggled to open her eyes. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Anakin said sitting next to her. "I was hoping you could tell me."

Ahsoka wiped her eyes as she sat up. "All I remember is dropping to the ground and seeing flashes."

"Flashes of what?"

Ahsoka frowned, shaking her head. "All I can recall is seeing lava and hearing the sound of lightsabres."

"That can't be good." Anakin murmured. "Why _did_ you come to see to me?"

Ahsoka blinked before digging into her pocket and pulling out the kyber crystal. "I came to give you this." She held the crystal out to him and he took it.

"The kyber crystal from your old lightsabre?"

Ahsoka nodded. "I know the baby isn't born yet and know it'll be years before he or she can wield a lightsabre but I thought I would help get them started."

"That's really thoughtful of you, Snips." Anakin smiled.

Ahsoka shrugged. "I found it on the floor of my room. I'd forgotten I even had it. I want you to have it. For me, it's only a reminder of a bad memory."

Anakin nodded and tucked the crystal in a hidey-hole behind the corner of the pod-racing poster on the wall.

"Only I will know where it is and when the time is right to bring it out."

"Thanks." Ahsoka went to stand.

"One more thing," Anakin said causing Ahsoka to halt in her departure. "I wanted to thank you for keeping Padmé company while I was gone."

Ahsoka brushed his comment off. "As long as you don't make a habit of it, I'm good with it."

"No, I'm serious," Anakin stood up. "If it weren't for you, I would told the troops to screw it and I would have come home."

"You're really asking for expulsion aren't you?" Ahsoka joked.

"Ha-ha, real funny." Anakin narrowed his eyes, yet he was still smiling. "And don't worry. We'll work out why you blacked out."

Ahsoka gave her Master one last smile before heading out the door.

* * *

In one of the training rooms on of the lower levels of the Temple, Ventress sat in meditation. Her eyes were closed but she frowned. She knew Ahsoka had passed out outside Anakin's room. She could detect a dark shadow hovering over the Master-Padawan duo. What confused her the most was that Anakin had very little darkness within him. It was almost non-existent. His presence was happy for the first time in a long time.

Ventress had never experienced such happiness radiating off Anakin before. Whenever they had come face-to-face in the past, there had been fear, anger and hatred rolling off him. Now, it was as if the emotions of the Dark Side no longer existed within him.

Ventress opened her eyes, she could still sense the darkness but where was it coming from? Then, just like that, it too disappeared. What was going on? Jumping to her feet, she hurried towards the door and down the hallway, hoping to run into Ahsoka or Anakin.

* * *

Ahsoka entered the corridor that lead to her room much quicker then she would have liked. She wished she had of gone back to Padmé's apartment after her conversation with Anakin. She needed to get a little bit of rest before she taught the class Master Yoda had assigned to her at the last minute.

" _Ahsoka!"_

The teenager turned to see Ventress running towards her. It struck her as odd as Ventress had never referred to her by her first name before. She'd always been 'Skywalker's Padawan' or 'Skywalker's filthy obnoxious little pet'.

"Ventress? What're you doing here?" Ahsoka found herself asking.

"I sensed you fainting."

Ahsoka was surprised that Ventress would even care about her welfare. Had the former assassin gone soft all of a sudden?

"I'm fine. Anakin got to me first, thankfully."

"I know this none of my concern but I thought I would warn you."

"Warn me about what?"

Vetnress wasn't sure how to respond. "I sensed… darkness surrounding you and your master."

Ahsoka blinked. "How is that possible? I would know if there was something dark going on with Anakin."

"It's not Skywalker," Ventress stated, shaking her head. "And is not you. Something else is at play here."

Not sure whether to believe Ventress, Ahsoka found herself captivated by what the former Sith assassin was telling her.

"So what then? Who could possibly be pushing the Dark Side to us?"

"I wish I knew."

At that moment, Ahsoka's comm beeped. Groaning, she turned her attention back to Ventress. "Sorry, I have to get going but if you can think of anything, please call and tell me."

"I will." Ventress nodded just as Ahsoka turned and bolted back down the corridor, the way she had come.

* * *

Activating her comm, Ahsoka was surprised to find that Obi-Wan was contacting her. "Master Obi-Wan. This is a surprise."

"Hello Ahsoka," Obi-Wan smiled. "I was just contacting you to ask if you've seen Anakin."

"I saw him earlier but other then that, no. Why? What's he done now?"

Obi-Wan chuckled at the cringe in Ahsoka's voice. "He hasn't done anything, I just can't get a hold of him."

"Oh. He must have his comm off. I can go and tell and him to turn it on if you want."

"No, no, that's alright my dear. If you see him though, tell him, I have been assigned to Utapau."

"Utapau? Why are you going there?"

"I cannot reveal that. Just tell him if you see him that I will see him when I get back."

"I will, thanks Master Obi-Wan." The hologram shut off.

Ahsoka sighed, unsure of what she was going to do next. She had to find Anakin and tell him what Obi-Wan had told her and she had to tell him what Ventress had told her about the darkness closing in around them.

As much as Ahsoka still wanted to believe that it was all a big coincidence, she had found that coincidences only occurred to normal people. They didn't exist with Jedi or other Force users. Hurrying down the hall, it didn't take her long to track her master down.

"Master!"

Anakin turned at the sound of her voice.

"Snips? What's wrong?"

"I just saw Ventress."

"Oh? What did she have to say?" Anakin arched an eyebrow.

"You're gonna think she's crazy and me _crazier_ for believing her."

"I'd never think you were crazy Ahsoka, you know that."

Ahsoka thought otherwise. She fought back a smirk as she watched Anakin recoil. She was one of the few people whom Anakin feared just a little. "Anyway, Ventress felt me pass out before."

Anakin's eyes bulged. "What?" he said, lowering his voice.

"Yeah. She also said that she could feel darkness surrounding us but it wasn't coming from you or I."

"Then who?" Anakin asked.

"She didn't know. All she said was that it was nearby."

"Creepy. Maybe we could ask Obi-Wan about it."

"About that," Ahsoka said awkwardly. "Obi-Wan contacted me earlier and asked me to tell you that he's on his way to Utapau."

"Utapau? Why?"

"He wouldn't tell me. Apparently, the council was cheap on specifics."

Anakin chuckled at the sound of disgust in his Padawan's voice. She had come really distrustful of the council. He couldn't really blame her. "I wish I could have gone with him." He sighed.

"You've got other things here that need tending to. Besides, we only just got you back." Ahsoka offered him a small smile, which he returned.

Anakin knew Ahsoka had been referring to Padmé and the baby and to the council's mission to gain information on whatever Palpatine was planning. "Where would I be without you Snips?"

"Hopelessly lost and confused." Ahsoka said cheerfully.

Anakin shook his head as he and Ahsoka laughed.

* * *

Palpatine sat at his desk in his office, clearly displeased by the developments of what should have been Skywalker's darkest hour. The secret Sith lord had known that because of the Padawan's influence, Skywalker didn't have that vision of his wife dying in childbirth. He knew that Tano's shared mistrust of the Jedi Council would ease Anakin's own mistrust towards them.

An idea suddenly struck him. What if he were to tell Anakin about how to get unlimited power? He knew the young troubled Jedi Knight liked to have power over his opponents. He knew Anakin wanted a way to save those he loved from death.

The Chancellor knew disposing of Tano, Amidala and her unborn spawn wasn't going to work now as both women and the unborn child had a great influence over Anakin and his decisions. No, the story was going to work. Palpatine just knew it.

* * *

Anakin walked down towards the Opera House where Palpatine had wanted to talk to him.

Palpatine was one of his oldest friends but Ahsoka and Padmé had told him to be wary of him. At the time he hadn't understood why but after Ahsoka told him about the Chancellor's attitude towards her, he had become more alert.

If the council's assignment to spy on the Chancellor was going to succeed, Anakin knew he couldn't leave any stone unturned. He needed to be careful with what he said as this meeting was vital to his mission. He only had until that night to get as much information as he could out of Palpatine. The man was certainly a tough guy to crack but Anakin knew he had to try.

After arriving at the Opera House, Anakin sensed around for the chancellor and found him in a private balcony box.

 _Typical of the Chancellor,_ Anakin thought as he mounted the steps up to the box. He ignored the looks the operagoers were giving him as he passed them on the way up the stairs.

"Anakin." The Chancellor greeted as Anakin walked into the room and sat next to him. The old man turned to his guards. "Leave us."

The guards turned and headed outside.

"I have good news," the chancellor said, breaking through the barrier of silence that fallen as Anakin had seated himself. "We almost free of General Grievous and his forces."

"Yes, sir. I know. Ahsoka told me that Obi-Wan was on heading for Utapau."

"You should be proud of your Padawan, Anakin," Palpatine said encouragingly. "She is clearly a great source of information to you."

 _She is more then that to me._ Anakin had wanted to say but held his tongue. Instead, he said, "Yes, she is. I am very proud of her. She has come a long way."

"I have seen reports from the Jedi council on her progress. They seem happy with everything she is doing to redeem herself after that little…incident."

Anakin froze for a moment but caught himself. How could Palpatine know about the council reports? He shook it from his mind. Showing hesitation towards the Chancellor was a good way of getting caught. "She didn't do it."

"Yes, I know but we can never be sure whom we can trust these days."

"I quite agree." Anakin allowed the heaviness seep into his tone.

"Have you ever heard of Darth Plagueis the Wise?" Palpatine suddenly asked.

"No." Anakin replied.

"He was a powerful Sith Lord. Strong. Brave. Compassionate. He could even save the ones he loved from dying."

A light bulb went off in Anakin's mind. He knew this had been coming but he kept this knowledge to himself. "He could actually save people from death?"

"Oh, yes." Palpatine nodded, not looking at him.

"What happened to him?" Anakin asked, curiously.

Palpatine grinned in spite of himself. "He became so powerful that his apprentice killed him in his sleep."

To Anakin, that wasn't at all surprising. Sith were always killing each other off. He remembered what he had heard about Ventress being targeted for assassination by Dooku. He knew of the near assassination of Dooku that had been hatched by Master Quinlan Vos and Ventress, which had failed before Anakin had killed the Count on the Invisible Hand. He only wished he knew what had happened to Maul so Satine could come out of hiding so she wouldn't have to pretend she was dead.

After another half-hour the Chancellor dismissed him.

Glad to get out of Palpatine's presence, Anakin realized he had been wrong to think that Palpatine was a good man. The way he had practically put his nose up at the mention of Ahsoka and the Jedi Council made Anakin's stomach turn over. The council, Ahsoka and Padmé had been right. There was something at play with the Chancellor. It was only a matter of finding out what he was up to.

* * *

Arriving back at Padmé's apartment, Anakin was greeted by Ahsoka who had been on her way out.

"How'd it go?" she asked eagerly.

"I don't know. I haven't been to the council yet." Anakin told her.

"Where have you been then?" Ahsoka frowned.

"After you left me earlier, I was summoned by the Chancellor to join him at the Opera House."

"What happened?"

"I'll tell you everything in the way to the council meeting. Come on."

Anakin went to turn away but turned back to see that Ahsoka hadn't left the doorway.

"You want me there when you deliver your report?"

"I wouldn't want anyone else. Come on, Snips."

"Why me?"

"Obi-Wan isn't going to be there."

"Yes he will." Ahsoka disagreed.

"As a hologram. I was talking about in person."

"Oh. Well, okay then." Hurrying out of the apartment doorway, Ahsoka faithfully scampered to Anakin's side as he headed back the way he had come. "Do you think we gathered enough information?" she asked.

"Hopefully," Anakin nodded. "If not, then we just have to gather some more."

Ahsoka wasn't real happy with the idea but it was better then nothing. If they were going to bring Palpatine down, it was going to be tonight.

* * *

Obi-Wan watched from afar as Commander Cody lead their troops to various parts of the rocky cliff face. The Jedi Master had been to many worlds in his time but they had nothing on Utapau. The planet and its adjoining system of the same name was covered in sinkholes. While it wasn't Obi-Wan's cup of tea, it was home to the Pau'an species. He had spoken to the leader of Utapau, Tion Medon in the capital Pau City but the meeting had gone nowhere as Medon had denied that there was war on the planet but there had been a reason why he had denied it. Grevious was holding the capital hostage and that on the tenth level there were thousands of battle droids ready to strike.

Obi-Wan had then pushed this meeting out of his mind and onto the main objective: bringing General Grevious to justice or killing the cyborg. One way or another Grevious would be put down but one thing remained before the hunt for Grevious could truly begin: the council meeting that would discuss bringing Chancellor Palpatine down a few levels.

* * *

Anakin stood in the middle of the council chamber facing Master Windu and the hologram of Master Yoda who had travelled to the planet of Kashyyyk to aid the Wookiees.

Ahsoka stood next to Anakin's council chair. While she wasn't a council member, she stood faithfully next to her master's chair to show her allegiance to him. Like the members of the council she was wearing a cloak that felt a little overwhelming. She had a closet full of them in her quarters but she rarely wore them. They weren't really her style. She looked around the room to see all eyes were trained on Anakin.

She caught the eye of Master Fisto who winked. Master Kit had always had a soft spot for Ahsoka and had always been kind to her. She knew he had a great amount of respect for Anakin and tolerated his plans. Looking after Fisto, Ahsoka spotted Master Plo who wasn't paying her much attention. That was okay though. She would have to catch up with him later. A few seats down sat other Jedi Masters that Ahsoka had seen around but didn't know by name. In one seat sat the hologram form of Master Obi-Wan, which was a relief to Ahsoka. She knew Anakin would never forgive him for not being at this meeting in some way shape or form.

"We assigned you a mission to spy on Chancellor Sheev Palpatine. What have you got, young Skywalker?" Master Windu said impatiently.

Anakin snuck a look over at Ahsoka, silently asking her to step over and join him.

"Masters," Anakin said addressing Windu and Yoda. "I cannot present this evidence without Ahsoka."

"Why is that, young Skywalker, hmm?" Yoda asked curiously.

Ahsoka had just stopped at Anakin's side.

"She helped me gather what information I have on the Chancellor."

Yoda and Windu looked at each other before Windu gestured for Anakin to continue.

"From the information we have been able to gather, we have been able to narrow down a couple of points of interest."

Anakin looked at Ahsoka and she returned the look.

"We believe the Chancellor involved in some illegal activity that might have something to do with the Separatists." Ahsoka said before she could stop herself.

Anakin inwardly cringed, thinking Ahsoka would be reprimanded for speaking up. When she wasn't, Anakin felt a surge of relief flow through him.

"Interesting." Yoda nodded.

"Hmm, I quite agree." Windu agreed. "What is this second point of interest you said you had?"

Anakin gulped. "This is my theory, Masters. After observing the Chancellor today at the Opera House, I have come to the conclusion, that Chancellor Sheev Palpatine is a Sith lord."

Murmuring broke out among the council members.

Anakin looked over to see Obi-Wan's holographic form looking at him curious.

Windu waved a hand and the council went quiet. "How do we know you're telling the truth?"

"You don't but in case you didn't already know, we have a load of evidence to back us up."

All eyes turned from Anakin to Ahsoka. Even Anakin turned to look at her. Normally, he would have pulled her up on it but this time he didn't.

"You have been living on a thousand years worth of tradition. Don't you think its time for a change? You might not believe Anakin or I are trustworthy but we are your best shot of bringing the Chancellor down."

Anakin would have smiled at Ahsoka's defiance if they weren't in the council chambers.

Many of the council members looked at each other.

Ahsoka was known for speaking up when she was told to remain silent but her experiences in the last few months had really changed her. While she was tough, she was even tougher now and it was the one thing Anakin was proud of when it came to his young charge.

" _I might be old, but I agree with young Ahsoka."_

Ahsoka and Anakin turned to see Plo Koon watching them.

A smile formed on Ahsoka's lips.

"I second that."

Kit Fisto.

Ahsoka turned to see that Kit was smiling at her and Anakin. They nodded in acknowledgement.

One by one, the other members of the council gave their own opinions. While Windu voted against the idea, Yoda had agreed with Ahsoka.

Ahsoka knew Windu would never go for it, no matter how much information there was. She knew that Yoda was making up for his verdict he had given to expel her for the Temple bombing. It was also his way of apologizing for giving her the 'suck up' classes she had been teaching.

Finally, the verdict was to be decided by Obi-Wan. "Ahsoka and Anakin make some valid points, Masters, so there for I agree that we should do something about the Chancellor before he knows we're onto him."

Anakin felt his shoulders relax. While he thought Obi-Wan had been against him the entire time, he knew that his old master was with him 110%.

"We have our verdict then," Windu said, clearly unsatisfied. "What is this evidence you have then?"

Anakin fished around in his pocket and pulled put the data chips from Padmé and Senator Chuchi and the holocron from Madame Nu.

Ahsoka bit the inside of her lip. She had information from Satine that she wasn't allow to reveal just yet.

Windu got up out of is chair and stepped over to Anakin who handed him the items in his hand.

"Who gave you this information?" Windu asked, reseating himself.

"Senator Padmé Amidala, Senator Riyo Chuchi and Madame Jocasta Nu," Ahsoka said boldy. "There is some information however, that they told us verbally."

"Go on." Windu said, steepling his fingers.

"Senator Amidala and Senator Bail Organa saw Palpatine's hands change form from overly wrinkly back to normal wrinkly. Senator Amidala captured it on holo-vid. It is on the big datachip." Ahsoka pointed to the two datachips and the holocron in Windu's lap.

Anakin wanted to hit her in the head for her lame description but it was the best description she could have come up on the spot.

"Is there more information?" Plo asked.

"Yes," Anakin nodded. "Ventress had some information for us as well. According to her, Dooku answered to a Sith known only as Darth Sidious."

There was more murmuring from the council.

"Think the Chancellor and this Darth Sidious are connected, hmm?" questioned Master Yoda.

"We have a feeling that _Palpatine_ is Darth Sidious."

Windu and Yoda looked at each other, clearly troubled.

"Thank you Anakin," Windu said bowing his head. He then turned to face Ahsoka. "Thank you, Ahsoka."

The Master and Padawan duo bowed low before turning and leaving the room.

Once the door of the room had closed, Ahsoka turned to Anakin.

"Do you think they believed us?"

Anakin was thoughtful for a moment. "I think so. There was murmuring. That's normally a good thing."

Ahsoka bit her lip, uncertainly. "I hope you're right, Master."

"So do I, Snips. So do I. Come on, let's go tell Padmé how it went." With that, Anakin guided Ahsoka down the corridor.

* * *

Padmé sat in her office going over last minute paperwork when Anakin and Ahsoka walked in looking exhausted.

"Ani. Ahsoka. How did it go?" She asked as she struggled to rise from her desk.

"What are you doing here?" Anakin asked, ignoring her question. "You're supposed to be at home resting."

Ahsoka swallowed a laugh. She loved seeing Anakin worked up and panicking.

"Don't laugh." Anakin said without looking over his shoulder at his Padawan.

Padmé and Ahsoka frowned and exchanged looks.

"Ani, we're fine." Padmé said, hand going to her stomach.

"To answer your question, Padmé," Ahsoka butted in. "We think we did alright."

Anakin peered over his shoulder but caught Ahsoka frowning.

Padmé looked from Anakin to Ahsoka and back again. "What happened?" she asked.

"We think the council believed us about Palpatine." Ahsoka said reluctantly. She was hoping to keep Padmé out of it as much as possible but found it was going to be impossible now that she had given them information to help the council bring Palpatine down.

"That's a good thing, Ahsoka. Why do you sound so worried?"

Ahsoka opened and closed her mouth but nothing came out. Anakin continued on for her.

"I think what Ahsoka was trying to say is that she has a feeling that this could all backfire on us."

"If it does, you need to be ready," Padmé advised as she drew her husband and young friend in for a tight, reassuring hug. "We could—"

"If you're suggest the three of us run," Anakin said darkly. "It won't work. If Palpatine gets wind of the news that I was assigned to spy on him and that Ahsoka helped me to do it, he could try and kill us."

"Kill you?" Padmé blinked as she pulled out of the hug. "Why would he kill you?"

Anakin opened his mouth but no words came out.

"We think he's a Sith Lord." Ahsoka blurted.

Anakin looked at his Padawan like she had lost her mind. Padmé's face drained of color.

"Are you sure?" Padmé rasped.

Ahsoka nodded. "Yes. Things seem to be piling up by the hour. I was thinking about it during the meeting earlier. The things you and Senator Chuchi mentioned. What Ventress was telling Anakin and I about the Sith food chain. It adds up. You might argue that extremely wrinkly hands doesn't prove anything but you'd be surprised with what I've learned over the last couple of years."

Padmé, despite being fearful of what could happen, considered the Padawan's words. Everything could backfire horribly as she knew Anakin and Ahsoka would be in the firing line. "We need to put an end to Palpatine's reign of power now."

"As much as I hate council right now," Ahsoka said. "They can only move when they believe they have motive against the Chancellor but he could very easily overpower any Jedi who is assigned to arrest him."

Anakin said nothing as he and Padmé exchanged looks. "She's right. We need to make this happen now."

"Not now, surely," Ahsoka argued. "Master, it's late. The council would be probably in bed by now. This is a matter that can be resolved tomorrow." To argue her point, the Padawan yawned.

Anakin sighed in defeat. In the time he had known Ahsoka, he had very rarely been able to win an argument with her and that, apparently, wasn't about to change. "Fine." He raised his hands in the air. "Come on you, I'll walk you back to the Temple." Grabbing Ahsoka by the shoulders, Anakin steered her towards the exit. He then stopped and turned towards his wife. "See you at home?"

Padmé nodded, not quite meeting his eyes.

Despite his own concerns, Anakin pressed his lips together and lead Ahsoka from the office.

Darkness had indeed fallen.

* * *

 _*Snoke voice* Did you like that the little touches? *normal voice* Okay, so I made Ventress kind of motherly for a reason. As she grows into becoming a Jedi again, she's going to become a kind of mentor to Ahsoka and a frenemy to her. She'll even come to know Luke and Leia and be a mentor towards them when the time comes but that's for later. Never know, she and Anakin might even become friends. Who knows? On another note, no one picked up that I slipped a young Kanan Jarrus into the story a couple of chapters back. At this point in the timeline of this story, Kanan is known as Caleb Dume. He will change his name but that comes a little later. Hera, Sabine, Chopper, Zeb and Ezra will all pop up in later chapters. Ezra will actually play a vital role when it comes to Luke and Leia as they're growing up. We know in Rebels now that Ezra and Leia know each other because she is assigned by her father (Bail Organa) to help the Rebels on Lothal. For more information about that in canon, watch the Rebels episode A Princess on Lothal._

 _Next chapter should be up either tomorrow or Wednesday (Australian time). Tomorrow's Australia Day so it will all depend on what I'm doing tomorrow._

 _To be Continued..._


	6. Ch 5: Ousted

**A/N:** _Hi y'all! I am SO sorry that this is later then I said it was going to be. I have been so busy and I haven't had time to edit it all that much so this chapter is going to have more typos then normal. I know there are typos in sentences everywhere and thank you to the reviewer who pointed out the typo in the last chapter. So this chapter is dealing with a lot involving Obi-Wan and there are lots of Skywalker family feels with the twins kicking up a storm. This chapter also deals with the rekindling of Lux and Ahsoka's relationship... sort of. Lux is going to have a bigger role as of chapter 9 which I am writing now so updates for this will slow down a bit until I can write a few more chapters so I don't lag behind with updates later on on. I know this is not the chapter you guys wanted in terms of Palpatine's ousting but that is coming up soon and Luke and Leia's birth isn't all that far away either. So thank you all so much for the faves and the follows. It means a lot._

* * *

 **Chapter 05: Ousted**

* * *

At daybreak the next day, Ahsoka and Anakin met with the Jedi council once more. Despite the fact that they were tired, they managed to pull through the meeting They had agreed with the council that in three days, they would meet again to set about putting in notion a plan that would see Palpatine ousted from office.

As the council chamber door shut behind them, Anakin and Ahsoka slumped against each other. Exhaustion had seeped into their bones. Their eyes were ready to close and to dip into endless slumber.

"We should get some sleep." Ahsoka tried to cover her mouth to conceal her yawn.

Anakin yawned in response.

"I think you're right, Snips."

"Go back to Padmé. I'll see you later." Ahsoka covered her mouth, hiding another yawn with the back of her gloved hand and waved lazily as she walked back to her quarters.

Anakin watched her go before he too headed home.

* * *

Anakin laid on one of the couches in Padmé's living room. His eyes were closed as he attempted to get the sleep he was trying to catch up on.

Walking into her living room, Padmé found her husband dozing. It was a rare thing for her to see. She had never seen him so at peace before. She assumed Ahsoka had told him to come home and get rest he needed. The last couple of days had been exhausting.

Smiling and touching a hand to her stomach, she felt their child kick as if to tell her that he or she wanted their daddy's attention.

Deciding her child was right, Padmé walked over and stepped behind the couch and leaned down to gently brush Anakin's hair from his face.

A smile formed on Anakin's face as he opened one eye. "You alright there?"

"I haven't seen you this happy in a long time." She walked around the couch and sat next to Anakin's feet.

Anakin smiled. He pushed himself into a sitting position to allow for more room for Padmé to sit. "I'm home," he said as Padmé moved closer to him. "That's why I'm happy."

Padmé pursed her lips and shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Oh?"

"I think Ahsoka had something to do with you being here."

Anakin blinked. "How'd you know?"

"I've come to know both of you well. I know Ahsoka will never let anything go until she gets what she wants."

Now fully sitting up, Anakin reached over and pushed Padmé's hair out of her face and back behind her ear.

"You're right." Anakin said casually.

Padmé pursed her lips and nodded trying not to smile. She enjoyed being right. "I see so much of you in her, Ani."

"I hate seeing myself in her," Anakin admitted. "I see just how much trouble I caused for Obi-Wan when I was a Padawan."

"Surely, you weren't that bad." Padmé said amused.

" _Oh, I would say he was bad. I think he was more…foolish then anything."_

Anakin and Padmé looked up to see Obi-Wan standing there watching them. His arms were crossed. His expression was hard to read.

The color drained from Anakin's face.

Padmé's stomach dropped.

 _Uh oh!_ The couple's brains shouted at once.

"How long have you been standing there? When did you get back from Utapau?" Anakin croaked.

"Long enough. Not long ago. Don't change the subject, Anakin." Obi-Wan replied, unimpressed.

* * *

Coming out of her chambers in the Jedi Temple, Ahsoka staggered, her hand instinctively reaching up to grab the metal doorframe. She felt as if she had had been kicked in the stomach. She gasped as her master's emotions rushed through her.

She felt through the Force Anakin's guilt. His nervousness. His defiance. His pity. His anger. His fear. His hate.

Before she could stop herself, Ahsoka found herself running. Running towards Padmé's apartment as fast her legs would carry her, her original task forgotten.

* * *

" _You have done the council and the Jedi Order a great wrong, Anakin. You have done many stupid things in the time I have known you but nothing as idiotic as this."_

"Idiotic!" Anakin shot to his feet. "That's covenant coming from the Jedi Master who had a fling with the late Duchess of Mandalore!"

"I will have you know, Anakin, that I was young and foolish." Obi-Wan half-shouted.

"Doesn't appear that way!" Anakin shot back.

On the couch, Padmé watched helplessly as Anakin and Obi-Wan argued. She wanted to stop them but wasn't willing for the argument to turn on her.

* * *

Flinging herself down the corridor towards Senator Amidala's apartment, Ahsoka was exhausted having run all the way from the Temple but she pushed herself to continue.

She could feel Obi-Wan now. His anger was rising and she felt Anakin's anger rise too. Why were they arguing? They must have been, as Ahsoka had never felt their anger through the Force so strong before.

Finally, she reached the apartment. The door slid up at her approach. She bolted inside and sure enough she could hear arguing.

"… _You have no idea how hard this has been!"_

 _That has to be Anakin,_ Ahsoka thought. There was no mistaking it.

Round the corner, Ahsoka skidded to a halt to see Anakin standing protectively in front of Padmé while she stood wedged between Anakin the couch. Her pregnant belly wasn't doing her any favors.

"What is going on here?!" Ahsoka yelled loud enough to be heard over Anakin and Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan and Anakin stopped arguing. Padmé tried to look around Anakin but with very little luck.

"Ahsoka? What are you doing here?" Obi-Wan asked before Anakin had a chance to open his mouth.

"Why do _you_ think I'm here, Master Kenobi?" Ahsoka said harshly.

Obi-Wan blinked. Ahsoka had never spoken to him like this before.

"You _knew_ about this?" Obi-Wan asked the Padawan incredulously.

Ahsoka stepped forward. "Of course I did. I've known for a while."

Obi-Wan's overpowering gaze turned away from Ahsoka and back to Anakin. "You told her? Yet, you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't _tell_ her. She worked it out for herself." Anakin said stepping away from his wife.

Ahsoka's protective instincts took over and she found herself wrapping her arms around Padmé who held onto her like her life depended on it.

Obi-Wan's gaze turned from Anakin to Padmé whose baby bump had become too difficult to hide. The cogs very quickly clicked together. The Jedi Master's eyes snapped back to Anakin. "You," he said. "You're the father of Padmé's unborn child, aren't you?"

Anakin felt his stomach drop.

Ahsoka's hold on Padmé tightened.

Padmé allowed her nails to dig into Ahsoka's arm.

Obi-Wan knew he had his answer when nobody spoke up. "I see." He said lifting his chin.

"You aren't going to tell the council, are you?" Ahsoka asked.

Padmé's nails edged deeper into the Padawan's arm.

Ahsoka nearly jumped out of her skin.

"No, I will not," Obi-Wan said after a moment. A smile crossed his face. "Has this been going on for three years?"

"Yep." Anakin said obviously guilt-ridden.

"The first Battle of Geonosis." Obi-Wan said in realisation.

"Before that." Anakin put in.

Obi-Wan knew better then to ask for specifics. "So I take it you married after the first battle on Geonosis?"

"Yes again." Anakin muttered.

The tension seemed to lift.

Anakin and Obi-Wan moved away from each other while Ahsoka and Padmé released each other with Ahsoka checking her arms to see if she had drawn blood.

Anakin and Obi-Wan sat opposite each other while Ahsoka and Padmé sat together, keeping as much distance between them and Anakin and Obi-Wan as possible.

Obi-Wan then turned to look at Padmé who would have gone pale if Ahsoka hadn't been sitting next to her. "When is the baby due?"

"Couple of months yet." Padmé responded, her hand resting on her belly.

"Do you know whether it is a boy or a girl yet?"

"No." Padmé, Ahsoka and Anakin chorused at once.

Obi-Wan chuckled. "I have never seen you three so in sync before."

Anakin gave Obi-Wan a look of annoyance. "You're going there, really?"

"I will keep your secret, don't worry. After everything you have been through Anakin, you deserve a chance at a real life."

Anakin snorted. "Real life? What real life?"

"You are not like most Jedi, Anakin. You weren't raised like most of us. You became a Padawan almost straight away. You were raised by your mother who willingly let you become a Jedi because it was your dream. You broke the sacred rules of the Jedi code and married and are about to become a father. Most Jedi would frown upon that."

"Most? You mean _all_ , right?" Ahsoka raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, _all._ The way the council has treated you isn't right."

"You a _dmit_ to that?" Anakin was surprised.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Anakin, we're brothers, you and I. Remember when Qui-Gon died and I honored his dying wish and took you on as my Padawan?"

"Yeah." Anakin nodded.

"Well, it's going to stay that way. We have fought alongside each other a very long time and no matter what you decide once the baby is born I support your decision."

"I'm not leaving the Order once the baby's born, Obi-Wan." Anakin stated firmly.

"You cannot hide the child forever."

"I know which is why, after the baby is born, I wanna make the whole thing public."

"What?" Padmé and Ahsoka cried at once.

"Are you crazy?" Ahsoka said. "Do you know what the council and the Queen of Naboo will do to you and to Padmé if you let this whole marriage thing get out?" Anakin was about to answer when Ahsoka cut across him. "Look, I know how you feel. Not being able to proclaim your love to the galaxy but going out there and telling anyone isn't the way to go about it. The council and the Queen's views aren't going to change."

"I agree with Ahsoka," Padmé said, speaking up for the first time since Obi-Wan had asked her about the baby's pending birth. "We can't just jump in and hope we don't get in trouble. That's not how we should be seeing things. We should be focusing on the baby and then focusing on what to do next."

Everyone looked like they were ready to argue but when no one spoke up, it was clear that the conversation was over.

* * *

A couple of hours after Obi-Wan's discovery, Ahsoka was called back to Padmé's apartment, this time without Anakin.

"Miss Ahsoka," Motée greeted with a smile as Ahsoka entered the apartment. "Padmé is waiting in her office."

"Her office?" Ahsoka frowned. "She told me the apartment."

"There was a last minute change. She went to the doctor for a check up."

"Is the she and the baby okay?" Ahsoka asked concerned.

"Motée chuckled. "As far as I know."

Ahsoka thanked the handmaiden and headed for the Senate Office building.

* * *

Ahsoka was exhausted by the time she reached Padmé's office. She had run the entire way. Despite Motée telling her nothing was wrong, she couldn't help but think something was up. She knew Padmé wouldn't have called her until it was urgent.

"Padmé," Ahsoka said as she entered the office. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I did." Padmé sat the paperwork she was reading aside.

"Why didn't you call me and tell me where you were going to be? I was worried when Motée said that you went to the doctor."

"I'm alright. You really are like Anakin."

"Yeah well, unlike that fun loving husband of yours, I don't freak out every time something happens to the people I love."

"True." Padmé nodded.

"So what did you wanna talk to me about?" Ahsoka sat down at the desk.

"Do you remember Lux Bonteri?"

Ahsoka blinked. "Yes." She replied slowly.

"Anakin mentioned that you've worked with him in the past."

Ahsoka nodded again, wondering where this was going. "You have too. You knew him when he was young. Ah, what's this about?"

"He's on world. He wants to catch up."

"Why did you wanna talk to me about it?"

Padmé examined Ahsoka's facial expression. "Is there something you wish to share?" A smirk crossed Padmé's face when Ahsoka's face paled.

Ahsoka's mouth opened and closed liked a fish gasping for air.

"You're in love with him." Padmé said amused.

"What? No! I'm not… oh. My head hurts." Ahsoka groaned, gripping her head.

Padmé laughed. "I know you too well Ahsoka. Does Anakin know?"

Ahsoka couldn't bring herself t look at Padmé as she shook her head. "No. I don't want him to know. If he did, he'd never let me live it down."

"Of course, my lips are sealed." Padmé pressed her lips together placed a finger to them.

"Thank you. How did you know to begin with?"

"That my dear is something for me to know and for you to share."

Ahsoka sighed. "There were flirtations. Nothing serious, I might add. A few kisses." The memories made Ahsoka blush. She would never have revealed something like that to Anakin. He would have annoyed the hell out of her. At the time, she had very firmly believed that Jedi weren't suppose to become involved in romantic affairs but now she thought very differently on the subject.

Obi-Wan and Anakin's experiences had taught her a few things.

Ahsoka forced herself to hide her smile by bowing her head.

"Hey," Padmé said gently. "It's only me. I'm not going to tell Anakin. Not unless you want me to."

Ahsoka lifted her gaze just a faction so that her eyes met the senator's.

"Can you not? At least, not for the moment?"

Padmé nodded. "Of course."

"It's just, the relationship just didn't go anywhere and we ended things. Did you feel that way in the beginning with Anakin?"

"Yes, for a matter of fact. I didn't want things to continue because it would ruin our careers but we couldn't stop it from happening. One thing led to another and we ended up getting married on Naboo, when Anakin was supposed to be taking me home. Three years on, we haven't looked back. It's hard seeing him go off and fight when there's a possibility the next time I see him, he'd be laying on stretcher ready for burial." Padmé gave a shaky sigh.

Ahsoka knew how she felt. Whenever Anakin sent her back to Coruscant for a break and he returned to the battlefield, she felt that she might never see him again alive. "I know exactly how you feel, Padmé."

Padmé gave Ahsoka a grateful smile before looking down at the work she had pushed aside earlier. "Can I tell _you_ something?" she asked.

"Sure. Anything."

Padmé swallowed. "I'm proud of you, Ahsoka."

Ahsoka stared at her. "You are?"

"Yes, I am. You keep Anakin from getting himself killed. I could not thank you enough for that. If it wasn't for you, I would be a war widow by now."

"There are times you know, where I have almost gotten him killed."

Padmé knew arguing wasn't going to help her cause. "I know. I have seen some of the holo-reports."

There was a silent understanding between them. Protect Anakin and nobody else gets hurt.

"Back to the whole Lux thing, Ah, when were you planning on meeting with him?" Ahsoka asked.

"Tomorrow, if that's okay with you."

"Yeah, I should be good with that."

"Great, I'll be sure to let him know."

* * *

When Anakin returned home that evening, he was surprised when Padmé bought up her meeting with Ahsoka.

"What did she say?" he asked. He was leaning up against the wall of their bedroom as Padmé went about putting away a few things.

Padmé knew she couldn't betray Ahsoka's trust by revealing her crush on Lux to Anakin.

"She said, she and Lux go back a long way and that it would be good to catch up." It wasn't exactly a lie but it wasn't exactly the truth either.

"Sounds like a certain couple." Anakin teased.

Padmé fixed him a look of agreement as she rounded the bed and sat on the end. "Unlike us, their relationship isn't anything more then friendship."

"Yeah, ah-huh. We thought that too and look what happened."

"We were different. You were only a child and I was Naboo's queen in disguise when we met. Lux and Ahsoka are teenagers who can take care of themselves."

Lux was in his early adult years but Anakin didn't mention it. "She would tell me if there was anything more going on between them, wouldn't she?"

"Of course she would," Padmé lied. "Let's just hope that they don't turn into us."

"When are you meeting up with Lux anyway?"

"Tomorrow," Padmé answered. "I'll make sure it doesn't turn awkward."

"Let's hope it doesn't."

Padmé rose from the bed and went to kiss Anakin on the cheek as she passed, being mindful of the day-old stubble he hadn't bothered to shave off.

* * *

That night, Ahsoka had trouble getting to sleep. Padmé's revelation had changed her perspective on just about everything. Thinking back on the few romantic encounters she had had with Lux, she wished she could come out and say that she was in love with him but truth be told, she couldn't be certain if she had been.

Now, as she lay in bed, she thought about something Anakin had once told her. She remembered their first mission together where they had played surrogate parents to Jabba the Hutt's huttlet son, Rotta.

" _The desert is merciless,"_ Anakin had said. _"Takes everything from you."_

At the time, Ahsoka had thought happy thoughts, then oblivious to her master's past on Tatooine. Now, she realized that Anakin's statement could also refer to other thing such as her doomed relationship with Lux. She understood now. The social divide between them, she being a Jedi and Lux being a politician, was the desert part and that them not being together was the 'take everything' part. She then thought of the social divide Padmé had mentioned earlier. She and Anakin weren't meant to be together but they had defied the rules of their respected careers to be together.

It all had become so much clearer. Satisfied, Ahsoka rolled over and closed her eyes, a smile etched on her face.

* * *

The next morning, Ahsoka met with Padmé early and the pair ventured towards the venue Padmé had chosen: a senatorial lounge just off the corridor from the main senate chamber.

Ahsoka hesitated.

Padmé placing a hand on her shoulder pulled her from her worry. "It's going to be okay, Soka."

Ahsoka swallowed and nodded, still unsure but allowed herself to follow Padmé into the lounge.

All the worlds in the galaxy and other places Ahsoka had been to during her time, as Anakin's Padawan couldn't have prepared her for what she saw when entered the lounge.

The room was luxurious and yet it wasn't over the top like Ahsoka had suspected it would be. The room was relevantly empty except for a few senators sitting here and there.

Lux wasn't hard to pick. He was sitting on the couch closest the wall to floor windows towards the back of the room. He hadn't changed from the last time Ahsoka had seen him. He was still handsome and charming and appeared to be very business-like.

At the sound of Padmé and Ahsoka's approach, he stood up, ready to greet them.

 _It's gonna be okay,_ Ahsoka's mind reminded her. _Don't let your past with him ruin your chances._

"Padmé. Good to see you again."

"Lux," Padmé greeted. "Nice to see you. I take it you remember Master Skywalker's Padawan, Ahsoka?"

Lux peeked around Padmé. "Hello, Ahsoka. It has been a long time."

"Certainly has Senator Bonteri." Ahsoka said through half-gritted teeth.

 _Nervousness won't get you anywhere!_ Ahsoka's mind screamed. _Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!_ She told herself.

"Please ladies, sit." Lux said gesturing to the couch in front of the one he had been sitting on.

Padmé sat first, then Ahsoka.

"It has been a long time," Ahsoka said, breaking the momentary silence. "I thought you would have forgotten me."

Padmé looked between them but said nothing.

"Never." Lux smiled charmingly.

"We thank you for coming Lux." Padmé interrupted with a charming smile of her own.

"Is it true what I have heard from my Jedi informants?" Lux asked. "That Chancellor Palpatine could be a Sith Lord?"

"Who are you Jedi informants?" Ahsoka questioned.

"Kit Fisto and Plo Koon."

Ahsoka frowned. _That was unexpected._ "Yes," she spoke aloud. "What they told you is true. We have two days until the council are going to arrest him."

"Arrest him?" It was Lux's turn to frown. "Arrest him for what? Have you got evidence to prove this?"

"Plenty." Ahsoka said her tone was hard and sharp. "We have information from Asajj Ventress that, and this only a hunch, that Palpatine might very well be a Sith Lord and that he may be supporting the Separtists like your mother."

Lux stared at her like she had lost her mind.

It was no secret that Lux's late mother Mina had been a Separatist sympathizer and had served in their senate. Lux knew Padmé through his mother, as Mina had been one of Padmé's mentors. While Mina had associated with the enemy had upset Padmé, Mina had still cared for her young former charge. Padmé in return, served as a mentor to Lux in the Republic Senate.

"Anakin has been assigned to spy on him." Padmé said lowering her voice.

"You're on a first name basis with Master Skywalker?" Lux raised an eyebrow.

Padmé went to open her mouth to speak but Ahsoka cut across her. "He's an old friend of hers and we're all friends so we use each other's names as opposed to titles."

Ahsoka cast a hard look at Padmé. The look she received in return was one of guilt.

"Right." Lux nodded, his lips pressed together.

"Why are you here? The last time I saw you, you wanted to work things out for yourself."

Lux reclined back in his chair. "I'm making up for my mother's mistakes."

"You already have. You tried to have Dooku assassinated." Ahsoka said.

Padmé nodded in agreement. "I agree, Lux. Your mother was a good friend to me but her decisions as well as where her loyalties belonged were wrong. You are not her. Remember that."

Lux clenched his jaw, pondering over what Padmé was telling him.

Ahsoka nodded. "Padmé's got a point. Your mother made the wrong decision and she paid for it with her life." Ahsoka jumped to her feet. She held out a hand to help Padmé up. Padmé took it, allowing Ahsoka to pull her to her feet.

Lux observed the pair. "Is everything okay Padmé?"

"Yes, everything is fine. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, its just Ahsoka helped you get up. You're normally more then capable of getting to your feet yourself."

Ahsoka watched as Lux's eyes travelled the length of Padmé's body, trying to piece together what was really going on. Suddenly, a light appeared in Lux's eyes prompting Ahsoka to gulp. She wanted to step in front of Padmé as Lux edged towards them a few steps but reframed from doing so.

"Are you… pregnant?" Lux asked Padmé lowering his voice so only Padmé and Ahsoka could hear him.

Ahsoka's eyes widened and turned her head towards Padmé who ignored the look of desperation on the Padawan's face.

"Yes, I am." Padmé whispered.

Behind her, Ahsoka rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Lux didn't asked who the father was but it could be assumed by the look on his face he knew.

"Are you going to tell everybody about what you have… observed?" Ahsoka asked, her voice suddenly bitter.

"No," Lux said. "Padmé is one of the few friends my mother was able to keep despite their opposing views on politics. I hate that my mother chose the Separatists. I hate that I was forced to join Death Watch just to try to kill Dooku. But I'm hoping that my help will make everyone see that my mother didn't die in vain." He looked to Padmé. "You know how much you meant to my mother. She would want what's best for you. I know your secrets, Padmé. Please, let me keep this secret."

Padmé wasn't sure how to react to that request. She looked over her shoulder at Ahsoka who nodded in approval.

"Alright but no one can know, understand?"

"Understood." Lux agreed.

* * *

 _He WHAT?!"_ Anakin exclaimed.

It was now just after noon and Padmé had taken Ahsoka back to the Temple so that she could meet Anakin for their weekly lightsabre training session.

"He guessed. He guessed that you were the father of Padmé's unborn child." Ahsoka cringed as she spoke, knowing Anakin was either going to blow a gasket or he was going to try to keep it together.

"Lux isn't stupid, Anakin." Padmé said simply.

"I never said he was," Anakin said. "You _do_ remember that his mother was a Separatist sympathizer, right?"

"We're aware, master." Ahsoka said, trying to keep her own emotions in check.

Padmé sighed, threw her hands up in the air, turned and walked out of the room.

Anakin looked Ahsoka in disbelief as if realizing something for the first time. "You and him? Seriously, Snips?"

Ahsoka gave him a cold hard stare that could have killed.

Anakin bit his lip and didn't reply, his gaze turning on his Padawan.

There was a long agonizing silence, as Ahsoka and Anakin sized each other up.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Anakin asked clenching his jaw in annoyance.

"You know why."

"Oh right," Anakin nodded, folding his arms across his chest. "The whole forbidden love thing, how can I forget?"

"See, that is _exactly_ why I didn't tell you, just like you didn't tell me about you and Padmé."

"It's different."

"How is it different?" Ahsoka asked, her voice displaying her discomfort as well as her disbelief.

"How do _you_ think it is different?" Anakin retorted. "Sorry," he immediately apologised. "I didn't mean to say it like that."

Ahsoka's face softened. "It's okay, I understand."

Anakin stepped forward, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "We're a pathetic pair, aren't we?"

Ahsoka could help but laugh. "Yeah, well, _you_ are the one with a baby on the way."

Anakin snorted in amusement. "It's nice to see you're never gonna let me live that one down."

"Any thing to defy the council, master. Remember that."

"Always, my young Padawan. Always."

* * *

Padmé sat in her office, looking through a small pile of paperwork. She inwardly groaned. She hated manual paperwork. She hadn't been feeling the best since she had left Anakin and Ahsoka earlier. Maybe the baby could sense that she wasn't in the same room as their father and godmother. She wasn't entirely sure but she had a gut feeling that the baby was going to be Force Sensitive.

With a father that was incredibly strong with the Force, there was no doubt that the baby was strong with the Force to some degree. Anakin had joked that he could tell how strong their child was by how forceful the kicks were.

Padmé smiled at the memory. As little time as she had had with Anakin over the last three years, Padmé knew that whatever time they had had together had been precious. She understood that and she understood Anakin's frustrations. He had every right to be annoyed and upset.

With a marriage as secret as theirs, it was a miracle that it hadn't gotten out sooner, particularly with the amount of allies that now knew.

Bail.

Satine.

Dexter.

Lux.

Ahsoka.

Ellé and Motée.

R2 and 3PO.

Captain Typho.

Padmé's head started to hurt at all the people that knew about her and Anakin. There was only a few that knew she was pregnant and that Anakin was the father. Then those select few who knew the whole truth.

" _Miss me?"_ said a voice.

Padmé's head shot up to see that Anakin had just entered the office.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were training Ahsoka."

"I was. Or rather, she told me about her and Lux."

"Oh, Ani, I'm sorry."

"You knew?"

"Yes, I did. Please don't blame Ahsoka. I guessed. She knows she can't lie to me or you."

"And look where that got us." Anakin said half-heartedly as he perched across from her.

"She didn't want to tell you because she feared you'd tease her."

"Tease her?" Anakin scoffed. "Like she teases me? That's hypocrisy, you know."

Padmé sighed, pursing her lips. "Ani," she said leaning across her desk a little. "She knows how protective you are of her. She didn't want you pulling out the big brother card and scaring Lux away."

Anakin looked appalled by the whole idea. "I would _never_ do that!"

"Really? Does you trying to kill Clovis count?" Padmé countered.

"That was different," Anakin said defensively. "I pulled the _husband_ card for that one."

"It was the _same thing,_ Anakin." Padmé exclaimed, laughing, upon seeing her husband's severe look of distain. "We love you. We both do but we're perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves. I might be pregnant but I can still use a blaster." A mischievous smirk crossed the senator's face.

Anakin sat back in his chair, defeated. "I don't know why I even married you."

"You needed a politician on your side."

"And Obi-Wan told me never to trust them."

"He was wrong." Padmé smiled, a hand resting on her stomach. "And I think the baby agrees."

"Another kick?"

"Yeah." A thought then emerged. "You better not jump into protective father mode if our child is a girl. I hate to think that she would think of you." Padmé rubbed soothing circles on her belly as if telling her unborn child that their daddy was being silly and over protective.

"If I did that, Ahsoka would be clawing at me." Anakin screwed up his face at the thought.

"She has a good heart. I think she's looking forward to this baby being born more then we are."

"Yeah," Anakin agreed. "I think she's only looking forward to it so she can be Aunt Ahsoka and be our personal babysitter."

"That is certainly a thought I hadn't thought of. It's a good idea."

"I wasn't being serious." Anakin yelped. When he caught Padmé's expression and he lowered his gaze. Padmé had a lot of love and respect for Ahsoka, that he wondered whom Padmé loved more. "Who do you love more? Me or her?"

Padmé couldn't help but laugh. "Jealous are we, Ani?"

Anakin's eyes narrowed into slits and mouth became a tight straight line. "Why would I be jealous of my own Padawan?"

"Because she's more fun to be around then you are?" Padmé suggested through her laughter.

"Whatever the case," Anakin said once his wife's laughter had died down. "She will be very much involved in our child's life."

"Wise words from a wise man."

* * *

Twilight had fallen much too quickly for Ahsoka's liking. She had secretly enjoyed her meeting with Lux and seeing Anakin's reaction but it had scared her a little. She knew Anakin would do anything to protect her, even scaring away any potential suitors. She shook her head. Suitor was the wrong word to consider when describing Lux. Their relationship had been a short-lived fling. Nothing more, though part of her had wanted it to be more. The other half of her was screaming at her not have a relationship based on secrets, like Anakin and Padmé's marriage was.

" _Ahsoka."_

The Padawan turned to see Obi-Wan walking towards her.

"Master Obi-Wan. What are you doing here?"

Obi-Wan smiled as he stopped next to her. "I thought I would join you."

"That's very thoughtful of you, master." Ahsoka stated as she started walking, Obi-Wan at her side.

"How was your meeting with Senator Bonteri this morning?" Ahsoka cast him a puzzled look. "Anakin told me. He said that it was the first time he has ever seen you nervous."

"It went well," Ahsoka said, trying to keep her panic from showing. "It was good to see him again considering he wanted to be left alone the last time I saw him."

"Ah, yes." Obi-Wan nodded as they walked. "I remember when Anakin reunited with Padmé for the first time in ten years. I don't think I have ever seen him sweat so much."

Ahsoka laughed. "Nervous? Really? I don't think I've _ever_ seen Anakin nervous."

"He always had a close bond with Padmé. Now I know why."

Ahsoka found that she was sympathetic towards Obi-Wan for not knowing. "Anakin was afraid of your reaction," she found herself saying. "He hated himself for hiding everything from you."

"I know. I am truly sorry I snapped at him. I wish I could apologize for everything I said to him."

"You don't need to, Obi-Wan," Ahsoka gently reassured him. "He knows. You are like a brother to him. He loves you like you love him." It was all brotherly love, of course.

Obi-Wan was moved. It was amazing just how much Ahsoka could read into their emotions like that. If Anakin had caught him doing that, he'd kill him. Obi-Wan knew that all too well. "Like he loves you, my dear Padawan?" Obi-Wan cracked a smile.

"Yeah, like that. I'm sorry too. I was sworn to secrecy. Anakin would have told you if he didn't have this nagging thought that you would blab to the council."

"You're right, my dear," Obi-Wan said with a sigh. "Some part of me would have told the council but this war has taught me something," he gave a small smile upon seeing Ahsoka's look of interest. "It has taught me to cherish everything you hold dear because you don't know if you'll live to see the next day."

Ahsoka blinked but said nothing. Was this his way of mentioning Satine without mentioning her by name?

"I know how you feel, master. I really do."

"You and Lux?" Obi-Wan said, teasing in his tone.

"It's a sad life when you're a Jedi, Obi-Wan, you can't love. You can only be compassionate. How pathetic is that?"

"It is the life we signed up for young one. Though I think between the three of us – you, me and Anakin – we shouldn't complain. We all have broken the laws of the Jedi, at one time or another."

 _Who hasn't?_ Ahsoka thought bitterly.

"From what Anakin tells me, he and Padmé have named you their child's godmother." Obi-Wan smiled.

Ahsoka nodded, her lips pressed. "Hmm."

"How does that feel?"

Ahsoka knew Obi-Wan was prodding her. Joking with her. It was a rare thing when it came to Obi-Wan. Unlike Anakin, Obi-Wan had a dry sense of humor.

"It feels… good." Ahsoka said thoughtfully. "Anakin keeps calling me _Aunt_ Ahsoka. Am I crazy to like the pet name so much?"

"No, I don't believe so," Obi-Wan shook his head. "You already have pet names for each other. One more isn't going to be so bad."

"Yeah, _Snips_ and _Skyguy._ Fun times." Ahsoka rolled her eyes.

"You started that one, I'm afraid my dear," Obi-Wan chuckled. "You and your pet names. I'm surprised Anakin went along with it."

"Padmé calls him Ani. Shouldn't I get the same luxury?"

"Actually, that's different." Obi-Wan put in.

"How is it different?" Ahsoka thought she was suffering from déjà vu. She remembered saying the same thing to Anakin earlier.

"Anakin has always been called Ani. His mother use to call him that. As did Master Qui-Gon. Padmé is merely continuing it."

Ahsoka detected sadness in Obi-Wan's tone at his own mention of his late master who had been killed by Darth Maul during the Invasion on Naboo thirteen years earlier. Anakin had told her the story. He had told her how close and how different the pair had been. From what Anakin had told her, Qui-Gon's death had hit Obi-Wan hard and it had triggered Obi-Wan's desire to train Anakin even if the council had been against it. It was surprising to Ahsoka that Obi-Wan would break the rules just to fulfill his master's dying wish. Then again, she shouldn't have been surprised. There was a lot of things that she hadn't expected and yet had found were true.

"I wish I had of known him." Ahsoka said sadly.

"I think Qui-Gon would have loved to have seen Anakin take you on as his apprentice. He saw Anakin like a son." Obi-Wan agreed.

"And what were you to him? Chop liver?" Ahsoka teased.

Obi-Wan chuckled. "I took things a little too seriously when I was young. I was always telling him not to do things like defy the council." Obi-Wan smirked at the memory.

"Wow and I thought Anakin was a bad ass." Ahsoka muttered mostly to herself.

"Language, Ahsoka," Obi-Wan scolded. "Anakin wouldn't want you to have bad language around his child."

"Sorry, slip of the tongue."

The pair were now inside the Temple, headed in the direction of the mess hall.

"You best get something to eat, Ahsoka. You've had a long day." Obi-Wan smiled gently.

"Yeah," Ahsoka said, her stomach grumbling. "I think I will. Goodnight, Master Obi-Wan." She went to turn to enter the mess hall when Obi-Wan called her back.

"Ahsoka."

Turning, Ahsoka gave Obi-Wan an expectant look.

"Good luck with Lux."

Ahsoka gave him a thankful look before turning back around and entering the mess hall.

* * *

A quiet night in was all Anakin desired and apparently the council (and Ahsoka) had agreed to grant him that. Ahsoka hadn't made contact with him once since they had spoken earlier. The council hadn't given any indication that they needed any more of the information and he and his Padawan had in their grasp.

He lay on the couch with Padmé, feeling their child kick up a storm.

Padmé giggled as they felt the child kick once. Twice, Three times. Four. "Did you feel that?" she laughed. She wasn't normally the giggly type but this was a special occasion.

"Ah, yeah, I'm right here." Anakin smiled.

Padmé laughed again. "Don't listen to daddy little one," Padmé said to her belly. "He's just being silly."

"Silly?" Anakin questioned. "Is it silly that I love you both?"

"No," Padmé said sweetly. The baby kicked again. "I think he agrees."

"He?" Anakin raised an eyebrow. "I thought we agreed we didn't wanna know until the baby was born."

" _You agreed._ I am merely acting on motherly instinct."

"Motherly instinct, huh? What ever happened to fatherly instinct?"

"No such thing." Padmé shrugged as she snuggled up next to him. She yawned, resting her head against his shoulder.

If only the war had permitted more moments like this. All the times they could have spent together had been torn away from them because some idiot had to ruin it. Now, Anakin could almost feel the war coming to a close. He and Padmé would be able to live together with their child in peace and not have to worry about rules and regulations that would keep them apart. It finally felt good thinking about what life could be like but it didn't make it any more far from reality.

Anakin craved a family life outside the Jedi Order. He loved being a Jedi still but the council's mistrust towards him often got him down. It was if they took pleasure in making his life a misery. He couldn't think that though. He was just going to have get use to it. No, wait. He _was_ use to it.

Looking down at his dozing wife, Anakin felt as if the weight of his burdens had been temporarily lifted. The love he had for her and the little life form growing inside her made him feel complete. His little family. _Their_ little family. Ahsoka was included in that. The four of them was just right. Not too big. Not too small. Just right.

" _Ani?"_

Anakin looked down to see that Padmé was awake. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

"What were you thinking about?"

"The future." Anakin kissed her forehead.

"What kind of future do you think we're going to have?"

Anakin thought for a moment. "One where we will be able to be together as a family and not have to watch our backs or watch what we say around each other."

"Don't forget the baby. We will be able to be seen in public with our child." Padmé sighed dreamily at the very thought.

"And together without everything becoming awkward." Anakin added.

"I like the sound of that."

"So do I." Anakin sighed as he gently pushed Padmé's hair out of her face. "How did I get so lucky?"

Padmé smiled up at him and returned the gesture. "If we hadn't met all those years ago on Tatooine, we wouldn't be together."

"Is it strange for a nine nearly ten year old to fall in love with a fourteen year old Queen despite him not knowing that?"

"Aww," Padmé pouted as she reached up to stroke his cheek. "I don't think it's strange. I think its sweet. I did act as a mother towards you."

"Then thirteen years later, we're married with a baby on the way. Go figure."

Padmé laughed. "I would never have thought that would have been possible. I am older then you."

"What does that matter?" Anakin snorted in amusement.

"I never said that it mattered."

Anakin laughed. It took him a moment to realize that they hadn't laughed together in a while. Sure, he'd laughed with Ahsoka and Obi-Wan but he hadn't laughed with Padmé. It felt good. It was as if everything was finally falling into place. They were finally spending time together as a couple and as to-be parents. What saddened Anakin the most was the thought of his mother never getting the chance to meet her first grandchild.

"I've been thinking up names for the baby." Padmé announced.

"Oh? What have you considered?"

"I know you've been thinking about your mother and what if the baby is a girl? We could call her Shmi."

Anakin's face paled as he shook his head. "No. If our child is a daughter and we named her after my mom, it could bring back memories of her death. I don't want that. I am honored that you thought of including her but no."

"Understood." Padmé was sitting up now. She could see the sadness in her husband's eyes. "We can ask Ahsoka for help."

Anakin groaned. "Do we have to? She's bound to wanna call the baby 'Cutie' or 'Tinnie' or one of those odd pet names she calls everybody."

"She's the baby's godmother, Anakin. She has to have some say."

"We'll see. After the Chancellor has been captured, we'll talk to her."

"Promise?"

"That's a promise."

* * *

 _Okay, so that's that then. Lux is back in Ahsoka's life and Anakin's playing protective big brother while playing protective husband and father. Man, Anakin's a killjoy. Just a warning, Lux is going to be absent for a few chapters and will pop up as a main character as of the middle of chapter 9 which will lead into Luke and Leia's birth._

 _To be continued..._


	7. Ch 6: The War is Over

**A/N:** _Hi all! So, this is a big chapter that I know a LOT of you have been waiting for._ _This isn't the labor or birth chapters but they are coming. I'm still writing chapter 9 which the labor chapter and then after that is the birth chapter so I've got a few big chapters coming up. This is a bit of tension between Anakin and Obi-Wan in this chapter I loved writing it. Tension is so them. I love the relationship between them go from reluctant master and troublesome student to tension heavy father and son to the best of friends. I think it would have been nice to have Obi-Wan dwell a bit more on his relationship with Anakin in the original films when he was talking to Luke about him. Anyway, this chapter see's Satine's return and the end of a certain tyrant. I would also like to thank everyone who has been reviewing and leaving kudos with follows and likes. I would also like to give a massive shoutout to Johnt12345 who has been the one of the most sweetest reviewers. I don't get many reviewers who actually comment on how much they love the story and are actually willing to talk to me about what's coming next. There is a quite a bit coming up which I am excited about sharing. The next chapter might be up next week. I have a lot of other stories that I have to work on as well and I want to be able to be ahead of the pack, so to speak, with this story. I will warn you like I said at the beginning, this story is going to be MASSIVE. I have planned 122 chapters for this story. I know it's a lot and I hope you all stick with it. The reason I'm making it long is because I want to be able to test my writing skills and see just how far I can push myself. Enough of my babbling, enjoy chapter 6: "The War is Over."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter 06: "The War is Over."**

* * *

Two days passed and the day to execute the Chancellor's arrest finally arrived.

Anakin, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan stood in the council chamber waiting for the council meeting to begin.

"Is this a good idea?" Ahsoka asked.

"Don't tell us you're getting cold feet, Ahsoka." Obi-Wan said peering around Anakin.

"No, I'm not, it's just I have a really bad feeling about this."

Before Anakin and Obi-Wan could answer her, the last members of the council arrived and seated themselves.

"Meeting in progress, it is." Master Yoda said.

"We all know why we're here." Windu said. "Let's get to it."

For an hour, the plan started to form as to how Palpatine was going to be captured and how things were going to proceed from there.

But with every passing moment, Anakin grew uneasy. What if Ahsoka's comment before were to come true? No. He couldn't think like that. This was his one chance to get the council back on side and the chance to live the life he wanted with Padmé was within reach.

"If I may, masters?" Anakin said once Yoda had asked if there were any questions.

"Skywalker?" Windu said, curious.

"I know you desire to keep me out of this but you will need my help to arrest him as he is very powerful."

Ahsoka and Obi-Wan looked at each other. They were standing behind Anakin. A chill ran through them as if they were on Hoth or some other cold planet.

Windu and Yoda looked at each other thoughtfully.

"Why must you help in the capture of the Chancellor, hm?" Yoda asked curiously.

"I have my own problems with him, Master Yoda."

Yoda knew better then to ask for specifics.

"Very well. In the meantime, your Padawan and Master Kenobi shall remain on standby in case we require back up." Windu said.

" _What?"_

All eyes turned to Ahsoka.

"You cannot be serious. I helped get the information that you required to bring Palpatine down and this is how you repay me?"

"Ahsoka," Anakin said gently, turning to face her. "Master Windu has a point. I know you have faced dangerous opponents before but the Chancellor is even more dangerous then all of those we have faced combined. I need you here with Obi-Wan."

At that moment, Obi-Wan stepped forward to join his two friends, placing a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder. "Everything is going to fine Ahsoka," he looked to Anakin who nodded. "Do what you must old friend."

Anakin didn't have to know what Obi-Wan was thinking to know he was referring to Padmé and the baby. He knew Obi-Wan was silently trying to encourage Ahsoka to stay with Padmé while the Chancellor was being arrested. They didn't want her in the firing line.

Finally, Ahsoka relented, a weak nod occurring.

"We will meet tonight here in this room. Be ready everyone. Council adjourned."

* * *

" _This is unlawful!"_ Ahsoka screeched.

She and Anakin were walking out of the council chamber corridor and down towards the lower floors.

"How can they not allow me to join your arrest team when I helped get the information?"

Anakin sighed. When Ahsoka was angry it was very hard to get her to listen to any form of reasoning. "I explained it to you, Ahsoka. Obi-Wan did too."

"Yes, you were being _cryptic_." Ahsoka said dryly.

"We don't take pride in the council's decisions, Ahsoka. If we did then we'd all be dead by now."

Ahsoka snorted. "Says you." She muttered, not caring if Anakin could hear her.

"Look," Anakin stopped walking and grabbed Ahsoka by the shoulders. "You know what your mission is. Accept it."

"Yeah, I get to play babysitter to your heavily pregnant wife while you get to arrest a Sith Lord. Yeah fun times."

Anakin looked around to see if anyone was around. When he was certain no one was watching, he hit Ahsoka around the back of the head.

"Ow!" she yelped. "Why did you do that?"

"Do you wanna get busted for mentioning my private life?" Anakin hissed at her.

Ahsoka wanted to bite back but didn't have the heart to. Yes, she was angry but she would never take it out on Anakin or Padmé. They didn't deserve it. They had done so much for her.

"Sorry, I'm just…"

"Pissed?" Anakin guessed.

"More then that," Ahsoka admitted. "I'm furious. First they think I'm capable of terrorism and now they're keeping me away from one of the biggest arrests the Jedi have ever made."

"I know it's hard but you have to have faith that we can accomplish this. You're still involved even if you will be on the sidelines. Look after Padmé and I will come and tell you want happened after. I promise."

 _Fair enough,_ Ahsoka thought as she nodded. "Fine. When do you want me up there?"

"How does 1830 sound?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you tonight."

* * *

Deep in the Coruscant underworld, Obi-Wan hid in the shadows. He was on his way to visit Satine whom had hidden herself away in the deepest (and darkest) place she could find. After her visit to Padmé and Ahsoka, she wanted to tell Obi-Wan that she had revealed herself to Ahsoka but she hadn't had the chance… until now.

It took Obi-Wan a good forty-five minutes to get to his beloved duchess' hiding place. The underworld on Coruscant was a treacherous place with mobsters and arms dealers hiding in the shadows ready to pounce on their victims.

 _What a piece of junk,_ he thought to himself.

The hut was small but Obi-Wan knew better. He had always believed that small was best when it came to hiding from an enemy or the galaxy that believed you were dead. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the shadows and towards the hut before knocking on the outer wall.

The door slid up revealing a relieved looking Satine. She pulled him inside without a second thought.

"How did you find me?" the Duchess asked.

Obi-Wan smirked affectionately. "You my darling have always been predictable."

"Like Anakin."

"Like Anakin, yes." Obi-Wan agreed.

"I need to tell you something." Satine said seating herself on the couch. Obi-Wan moved to the second couch, sitting opposite her.

"Oh?"

"Ahsoka knows I'm alive."

A dozen expressions passed over Obi-Wan's face before it returned to its calm. "How does she know?"

"Padmé asked her to the apartment that was when I revealed myself to be alive."

Obi-Wan was thoughtful. "I thought Anakin told her beforehand."

"According to Padmé he did."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I thought Anakin would."

Satine detected a slight cringe in Obi-Wan's voice. "You know about them, don't you?"

Obi-Wan lowered his head. "Yes, I do. I must admit, I wasn't very happy but if Ahsoka hadn't of been there, I don't know what I would have done. Anakin has lied to me all this time. Not only do I discover he and Padmé are married but they also have a baby on the way. I thought I knew him."

Satine could see the devastation clearly on Obi-Wan's face. She knew how close Obi-Wan and Anakin were and it hurt her to see Obi-Wan upset. "I second guessed it." She said.

"You knew? How much did you know?"

"Not much," Satine told him. "Like I said, my darling Obi-Wan, I second guessed. An idiot could see Padmé is pregnant."

"Did you know Anakin is the father?"

"I knew of their connection long before I went into hiding."

"Did Padmé tell you?"

"No," Satine said simply. "I knew of their connection by piecing together their interactions."

Obi-Wan looked at her shamefully. "I had suspicions but I never thought Anakin would doing something like that and lie to me about it." He thought back to the conversation he had had with Anakin during Padmé's second run-in with Clovis. Anakin had claimed he and Padmé were just friends but Obi-Wan had suspected there was more at play and clearly he'd been right.

The former couple sat in silence for a moment. It felt a little awkward but it all they could do from throwing themselves at each other. They loved each other dearly but even they had to follow the rules.

"Did you mean it?" Satine asked suddenly.

"Mean what?" Obi-Wan questioned.

"When Maul stabbed me, you said that you would have left the Jedi Order for me. Would you have left?"

Obi-Wan had never been the nervous type but he was this time. He bit his lip, hoping Satine wasn't going to notice. "Yes," he whispered. "I would have."

Satine looked at him mournfully. "I wish I could take you up on your offer but I cannot."

"I understand."

Their eyes locked, their thoughts mounded together as if they were thinking the same thing. Their love could wait, as there were other things that needed to be sorted out first.

* * *

Evening had fallen much quicker then Anakin would have liked. He paced back and forth in front of Padmé who was attempting to read one of the reports that had landed on her desk earlier that day.

"Ani," the senator said still looking down at her report. "Can you please stop doing that? You're making me anxious."

Anakin did as he was told. "Sorry, I just can't wait for this to be over and done with."

Padmé nodded putting her report aside. "I agree. Hopefully tonight will be the night."

"Yeah but question is," Anakin said as he sat next to her, "Who will be the next Chancellor?"

"Someone who actually cares for the Republic and doesn't want to turn it into an Empire."

"Is that what he's planning to do with the Republic?"

Padmé shrugged. "That's what the Delegation of 2000 are guessing. After tonight we'll _finally_ have an answer."

"Hopefully." Anakin agreed as Padmé moved closer to him.

Wrapping his arms around his wife, Anakin could feel her trembling with fear. She knew that if tonight backfired, she could lose him, permanently.

"Everything's going to be okay." he gently assured her.

"I don't want to lose you," she whispered. "I can't raise our child on my own."

Anakin gave her a soft chuckle as he reached up to touch her cheek.

Padmé sniffed. "I love you." She whispered.

Anakin gave a soft chuckle loud enough for her to hear. He leaned in to kiss her but stopped at the sound of the apartment opening and closing.

" _Master."_ Came Ahsoka's voice.

"Yeah, down here." Anakin called before giving Padmé an apologetic look.

"Hello Ahsoka." Padmé smiled as she struggled to her feet.

"Hi Padmé, how are you feeling?"

"Okay, I think." Padmé told her as she pulled her young friend into a tight hug.

"How's my niece or nephew?" Ahsoka asked with a smile.

"She or he are perfectly fine," Anakin said rising to stand beside his wife. "Hiya Snips."

"Hi Master. So, I'm here. How long do you think you're gonna be?"

"Not sure yet." Anakin answered.

"Well, I'll stay for as long as you need me to be here."

"Thanks Ahsoka, I really appreciate it." Anakin said patting his Padawan on the back.

"Be careful, Ani." Padmé said as she hugged him.

"I'll be home as soon as I can. I wouldn't want the little one to miss me too much." Anakin assured her.

Padmé gave a watery a smile before reaching for him to kiss him.

Ahsoka didn't bother to look away. It was something she was getting use to.

"Go," Padmé urged him. "Give us our freedom."

Anakin released her and took a few steps back before turning to Ahsoka. "Look after her, Snips."

Ahsoka bit hard on her cheek, nearly tasting blood as she nodded.

Just as Anakin headed up the stairs towards the entrance Ahsoka stopped him. "Master."

Anakin stopped mid-step and turned around.

"Be careful."

Anakin regarded his Padawan for a moment before nodding and resuming his walk towards the door.

The closing of the apartment door reduced Padmé to tears.

Before Ahsoka could stop her, Padmé sunk to the floor in a flood of tears. Sinking with her, Ahsoka wrapped her arms around the sobbing expectant mother.

"I can't lose him, Ahsoka." Padmé sobbed.

"You won't." Ahsoka said gently as she helped Padmé over to one of the couches. "He's a fighter and I can't believe I'm actually going to say this but he's come a long way since we met back on Christophsis. If I know one thing, he'll come home to see the baby come into this world." Ahsoka placed a hand over Padmé's hand that was resting on her stomach.

"You have a lot of faith in him." The senator sniffed.

"You should too," Ahsoka chuckled. "He's _your_ husband."

Padmé sniffed and rested her head against Ahsoka's shoulder. Ahsoka sighed, resting her own head against Padmé's.

 _Come home to us, Anakin. Come home._

* * *

Anakin walked towards the Jedi Temple, unable to get the frightened look on Padmé's face out of his mind. He hated having to go on assignment and not know if he'd come out of it alive. He felt worst that Ahsoka wasn't joining him. He knew she wanted to be there when Palpatine was brought to justice.

" _Skywalker."_

Anakin turned his head to see Ventress hurrying towards him. It still stuck him as odd that Ventress actually was back in the Order and had a head of hair. "Ventress." He greeted. "What do I owe the pleasure?"

"Is what I heard true? That the Chancellor is going to be arrested tonight?"

"Hopefully, yeah. We know he's dangerous. A Sith Lord."

"Sith?" Ventress questioned.

"Yeah."

"Sidious." Ventress muttered.

"What?"

"I think I might know who Palpatine's sith persona is."

Anakin stared at her. "Sidious? You think this guy and Palpatine are the same person?"

"More then likely."

"That could prove useful in a trial."

"How do you know this will go to trial?"

"I don't know. We just have to pray that it does. Come on. We could use your testimony if things get ugly." Anakin then turned and continued towards the Temple. Ventress looked momentarily stunned before following after him.

* * *

After a few minutes, Anakin and Ventress arrived at the council chambers.

Anakin was ready to step inside the room but Ventress found herself hesitating. "You coming or what?"

"I think it shall be best if I remain out here."

Anakin frowned. He had never seen Ventress hesitate before. "Okay," he said at last. "Wish me luck."

* * *

The council sat in their designated seats going over the final preparations for the Chancellor's capture and arrest.

Anakin felt strangely out of place without Ahsoka next to him. He looked over to see that Obi-Wan's chair was vacant. This wasn't like him. He was one of the few Jedi that _actually enjoyed_ council meetings. Shaking his head slightly, not wanting to draw attention to himself, he looked back at the council; surprised he could actually recall everything that was being said.

"…We shall have Fisto, Skywalker, Tiin, Kolar and myself on the arresting side." Windu was saying.

"I wish Master Kenobi was here," said the hologram of Plo Koon. "He would be an added bonus to this strike team."

"If I may, Masters." Anakin interrupted.

"Skywalker." Windu nodded for him to continue.

"I know someone who might be willing to join us," Anakin looked around at the other members of the council. "I believe Ventress could help us in discovering the truth about Palpatine."

"You have a lot of faith in Ventress, Anakin," Kit Fisto said. "Why may I ask is that?"

"She helped me save Ahsoka. I know everyone here has had their fair share of run ins with her but she's hurting. Dooku tried to kill her. She deserves another chance. Isn't that the whole reason why you all agreed to give her a trial run to see if she could be trusted?"

Silence.

Masters exchanged looks with each other.

"You have a fair point," Windu admitted. "Where is Ventress now?"

"Outside." Anakin answered.

"Finish this meeting we will, then invite Ventress to join us you will, Skywalker." Master Yoda said.

"What if she doesn't want to join us in capturing the Chancellor?"

"It is her choice. It is merely a suggestion." Ki-Adi-Mundi said gently.

Anakin bit his lip.

"Meeting adjourned and may the Force be with us all."

* * *

Outside the council chambers, Ventress waited anxiously for Anakin to reemerge from the council meeting. Anxiety? Why was she feeling anxious? She had never had the pleasure of such an emotion. She had spent so many years as a Sith Assassin after her master's death that she hadn't had time to ponder over feelings.

Now that she was back amongst the ranks of her Jedi brethren, she felt more at peace then she ever had and she knew she had Anakin to thank for that. He had asked for her help in saving his Padawan from a death sentence in which she too had been wronged.

" _Ventress."_

At the sound of her name, she turned to see Anakin emerge from the council chamber.

"The council wants you to join us with capturing Palpatine."

Again, Ventress hesitated. "I cannot."

"Why?"

"He will kill me before he finishes off the council." When Anakin frowned, Ventress quickly launched into an explanation. "He knows who I am and if he knows I've been asked to help capture him, he will kill me on the spot."

Anakin sighed, knowing that he couldn't argue with her. "Alright, I tried at least. I'll make sure you're one of the first ones to know." Anakin patted her on the arm before hurrying down the hallway, leaving Ventress in the lurch.

* * *

Joining his fellow councilmen, Anakin marched silently and confidently towards the Chancellor's office in the Senate building. Every time he visited the Senate building now reminded him of the Senate Hostage Crisis. He knew now how foolish it had been to give Padmé his lightsabre and then to kiss her when someone could have walked in on them. Maybe Padmé had been right. His love for her had blinded him.

Just thinking of Padmé made him consider everything. If they were able to capture Palpatine, the galaxy and the Republic as a whole would be free of any tyranny that Palpatine had up his sleeve and he would be free to live out the rest of his days as the husband that Padmé so desperately desired and the father their child needed. He could even be the mentor that Ahsoka had always dreamed of having.

"Ready for this, Anakin?" Kit asked him.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Anakin answered.

The group of Jedi readied themselves for combat.

Using the Force, the group's lightsabres, flew from their belts and into their hands, ready to strike.

* * *

Up in Padmé's apartment, the senator couldn't bring herself to sleep so she and Ahsoka sat up talking.

"You should really be sleeping, my lady." Ahsoka sighed.

"I know but I can't without knowing Anakin's okay."

"Why are you so stubborn?"

"Like husband, like wife, like child." Padmé grinned, her hands resting over her stomach.

"I hope not. We don't need another Anakin."

"I thought you'd like that."

"No, I wouldn't," Ahsoka snorted. "One Anakin is plenty."

Padmé smiled when a thought occurred to her. "Wait here." She got up and headed up towards the bedroom. She returned a moment later with something in her hands.

"What have you got there?" Ahsoka asked as Padmé returned to the living area.

"I have had this for years and I've never shown anyone." Padmé sat down beside her. She then opened her palm to reveal what she was holding.

"Is that what I think it is?" Ahsoka gasped.

"Hmm-hmm."

"Wow. A Japor Snippet. I've heard of these but I've never actually seen one."

"Anakin made this for me when he was a child. It was a parting gift when we arrived here on Coruscant. Of course, we weren't to know we'd meet again." Padmé held the trinket out to Ahsoka to examine.

Gingerly taking the trinket from Padmé's hand, Ahsoka held the snippet up to eye level.

The Japor Snippet was ivory white with a dark pattern of lines and dots on the face.

"It's pretty. It's amazing to think Anakin made it."

"I agree," Padmé said, slipping the chain over her head so that the snippet came to rest against her chest. "That husband of mine is very creative."

"I hope the baby is creative."

"Done rattling off desires this child will have?" Padmé laughed.

"Yeah, I'm quite done." Ahsoka smiled cheekily.

"Anakin has taught you well, young one."

"I owe him and you everything."

Padmé smiled, touched by the Padawan's statement. She reached across and took Ahsoka's hand.

Ahsoka gave the senator's hand a gently squeeze for reassurance. "He'll be home. Don't worry."

* * *

The Jedi arrest team made their way up the multitude of floors to the one that contained the Chancellor's office.

Entering the threshold to the office, Anakin knew he was either going to die here or he was to emerge the victor. This could be the Jedi's last chance to end the war for good. Taking a deep breath, he slowed his heavy walk to a slow one as he trailed behind Masters Fisto and Tiin. As much as he wanted to be next to Master Windu, Anakin kept his distance.

"Master Jedi," the Chancellor said with a kindly smile. "What do I owe this pleasure?"

Windu revealed his lightsabre, activating it. The other Jedi stepped forward doing the same. "In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you are under arrest, Chancellor."

Anakin watched as the Chancellor's face fell. "Are you threatening me master Jedi?" The old man snarled.

Anakin stepped forward, ready for an attack. "The Senate will decide your fate." His voice was even, hard and unyielding.

Palpatine's face softened a little. "Anakin. You don't want to arrest me, do you my dear boy?"

Anakin's mind was clear and focused. No one was going to stop him getting what he wanted. "Oh, yes I really do, Chancellor. You are charged with starting the Clone Wars and acts of terrorism, espionage and treason and other crimes against the Republic."

"I am the Senate!" Palpatine growled.

"Not yet." Windu responded calmly.

Palpatine stood up, a lightsabre protruding from his sleeve. "Then it's treason, then."

Before Anakin could even blink, Palpatine threw himself at him forcing him to throw himself out of the way, his lightsabre clashing with the enemy's. The other masters jumped into the frey without a second thought.

* * *

Ahsoka cried out as if she could feel Anakin's surprise and adrenaline.

Padmé jumped up, stumbled but caught herself as she sat beside the teenager.

Suddenly, Ahsoka returned to the present with a shriek.

"What is it?"

Ahsoka's gaze turned to the senator, her expression watery. She went to open her mouth but her mouth suddenly felt as course and rough as the sand dunes on Tatooine.

A look of worry and panic took over Padmé's face.

* * *

Kolar, Fisto and Tiin were injured within the opening minutes of the fight, leaving Anakin and Windu to continue the fight on their own.

Anakin desperately looked for a way to stop the Chancellor from gaining the upper hand. Then it hit him.

The window.

Throwing his hand in the direction of the window, Anakin silently prayed when-

The window cracked before shattering, glass flying everywhere and the evening's cold winds flooding the office space.

With the Chancellor momentarily distracted, Windu and Anakin were able to push the Chancellor towards the open window.

Realizing what was going on, Palpatine raised his hands, lightning ricocheted from his fingers, catching Windu by surprise and sending him flying into the opposite wall.

Anakin held his lightsabre up, deflecting the Force lightning back at the chancellor.

Windu groaned, quickly regaining consciousness. He crawled over to his still unconscious comrades to check if they were still alive.

"I can help you save those you love." The chancellor groaned as the lightning pulsed through him.

Anakin ignored him and kept his weapon angled, He watched in horror as Palpatine's face changed to disfigurement.

The old man's face was wrinkly beyond anything imaginable. His eyes changed to a horrific and sick yellow color.

"Don't let yourself kill me." Sidious cried weakly as the lightning continued to weaken him.

A thousand thoughts ran through Anakin's mind. Could he kill the old man because of what he was? Could he really teach him to save those he loved? No! He couldn't think like that. He didn't care about power or fame. His family came first. Suddenly, faces flashed across his vision.

 _Padmé._

 _Ahsoka._

 _Obi-Wan._

 _Rex._

 _The entirety of the 501_ _st_ _._

 _His son or daughter._

Anakin could nearly hear Ahsoka's voice booming through his skull.

" _Kill him! Kim him now!"_

It wasn't Ahsoka's voice he was hearing; it was Master Windu's.

Raising his weapon, Anakin sunk his lightsabre blade down into Palpatine's chest and through his heart.

The Sith Lord's body slumped, dead.

Anakin deactivated his lightsabre, freeing the blade from the now dead Sith Lord's body.

"What have I done?" Anakin fretted.

Windu came up behind him. "You did the Republic a great service, Skywalker. We'll take things from here."

Anakin looked over to where Fisto, Tiin and Kolar were now standing. They looked a little bruised and shaken but not badly injured.

"You have our thanks, Anakin," Fisto said thankfully. "You saved our lives."

Anakin nodded, his breath rattled in his chest at the sight of what he had done.

Windu turned to face him. "Anakin, we will discuss what is to happen in the morning, right now though, get so sleep, you've earn it." There was a look in his eyes that Anakin hadn't seen before. He couldn't decide if it was pride or thankfulness. Either way he was willing to take both in stride and deal with what was coming next in the morning. All he wanted to do now was get back to Padmé and Ahsoka and tell them everything that had occurred in this office tonight.

"Thank you Master." Anakin reclined his head and turned to leave, homeward bound.

* * *

By the time Anakin arrived back at the apartment, Padmé and Ahsoka were half-asleep.

"Ani!" Padmé pulled herself off the couch, pulling a half-dozing Ahsoka with her. The senator then released Ahsoka and threw herself into the arms of her husband.

"What happened?" Ahsoka asked, suddenly fully awake and alert.

Anakin looked more shaken then relieved.

Ahsoka could sense something wasn't quite right. She had seen Anakin shaken before but nothing like this.

"Are you both alright? The baby?"

We're fine," Padmé said as Anakin pulled her closer. "Stop fussing."

Padmé pulled out of Anakin's grasp and backed up so she was standing next to Ahsoka.

Ahsoka felt her protective instincts take over as she wrapped her arms around Padmé. Before she knew, Padmé's arms were wrapped around her, vice tight.

"Ventress was right." Anakin said. "You were all right." His eyes were on Ahsoka and Padmé.

There was something dark in Anakin's tone that made Padmé and Ahsoka shiver.

Anakin turned to face the window. "I will not betray the Republic."

Ahsoka and Padmé froze, their arms tightening around each other. There was something in Anakin's voice that neither of them liked.

"My loyalties lay with the Jedi and the Senate," Anakin turned around. "And with the two of you."

This wasn't exactly reassuring. Ahsoka and Padmé held each other tighter with Padmé's nails digging into Ahsoka's arm.

When Ahsoka didn't yelp or cry out, Padmé thought it was wise to look at the teenager. What she saw was truly disturbing.

Ahsoka had gone white and if she moved anymore, she would likely pass out.

Anakin seemed to notice this too; the dark look on his face vanished almost instantly. "Ahsoka?" he stepped forward catching his Padawan just as Padmé released her.

"So cold." Ahsoka murmured as Anakin eased her onto the couch closest to them.

"It's alright, Ahsoka. No one will harm us. Not again." He looked over to see Padmé perched next to Ahsoka.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I…" Anakin swallowed. "I killed the Chancellor."

"You what?" Ahsoka quickly recovered from her bout of faintness. "What happened exactly?"

"The council met, decided that I was to join them in capturing the Chancellor. Things took a turn when he revealed himself to be the Sith Lord Darth Sidious."

"Ventress was right," Ahsoka said, repeating what Anakin said just moments before. "What happened next?"

"There was a struggle where Masters Fisto, Tiin and Kolar were knocked unconscious leaving just Master Windu and I to duel the Chancellor alone…"

Ahsoka cut across him. "Duel? He had a lightsabre?" she asked in disbelief.

Even Padmé appeared surprised.

"Yes and he was a tough opponent. I've faced tough opponents before but nothing like this. He used Force lightning against Windu and tried to kill him but I was able to stop him… just."

Padmé pressed her lips together and looked to Ahsoka who was harboring the same expression.

"I was able to weaken him and smash the window of his office. He tried to convince me that he had the ability to help me save you all from death but I didn't buy it and then… I killed him." He tore his gaze from Ahsoka and Padmé, biting his lower lip. "There's something else."

"What?" Padmé said her voice holding between a whisper and whimper.

"He..." Anakin shallowed like there was a bad taste in his mouth. "He tried to turn me to the Dark Side."

Both women stared at him. Neither knew what to say through their shock.

"What happens…?" Ahsoka started to say before she was cut off.

" _Anakin? You here?"_ called an all too familiar voice.

Obi-Wan.

A moment later, Obi-Wan appeared taking the couple of steps down to the living area.

"Master Obi-Wan." Ahsoka grinned as Padmé helped her up.

"Hello young Ahsoka." Obi-Wan beamed. His head then turned in the direction of Anakin and Padmé.

"Obi-Wan, what are you doing here?" Padmé said in surprise as he stepped forward to hug her.

"I came to see Anakin," Obi-Wan turned his full attention to his former Padawan. "I heard what happened with Palpatine. Are you alright?"

"Fine," Anakin made an attempt to brush off Obi-Wan's concern but found it was furtile. "I just did something really stupid."

"Does it have to do with what happened in the Chancellor's office? If it does, I already know about it."

"You know I killed him?"

"Master Fisto told me when I ran into him earlier."

"Where were you earlier, by the way?" Anakin interrupted. "You weren't at the meeting. I could have needed you." Anakin was hurt that Obi-Wan hadn't been there as support.

Obi-Wan bit his lip and bowed his head. "I was with Satine."

Silence fell.

To the others, it was probably the most explainable thing that was logical. Obi-Wan wasn't known for missing too many council meetings, no matter where in the galaxy he was.

"That explains a bit." Anakin said, a teasing smile crossing his face. "Congratulations, Obi-Wan you have officially entered the game I like to call forbidden love."

"Anakin." Ahsoka said sternly.

"What?" Anakin exclaimed. "He's doing the same thing I've been doing for three years."

"Anakin," Padmé said equally as sternly. "Enough."

Anakin wanted to say more but held his tongue knowing Padmé and Ahsoka were just going to dig into him more. He wanted to call Obi-Wan a hypocrite but didn't.

"We appreciate the honesty Obi-Wan," Padmé told her old friend gently but not before throwing a distasteful look at her husband. "We will support you, no matter what you decide."

"Thank you, Senator." Obi-Wan gave Padmé a grateful smile.

From where he was standing, Anakin rolled his eyes. Typical. Padmé was always choosing the side with the best views and arguments.

"So what's going to happen to Palpatine's body?" Ahsoka asked, eager to get back on topic.

"It will be examined in the morgue and will be taken back to Naboo." Obi-Wan looked over at Padmé who appeared visibly shaken.

"Why would he have tried to overthrow the Republic? He was one of the best politicians Naboo has ever had."

Anakin wanted to comment that Palpatine may have been a good politician but nowhere near as good as Padmé but held his tongue.

"Whatever the reason," Ahsoka said. "He must have craved power. If he couldn't become King of Naboo then maybe he wanted to rule the galaxy."

"That's a good theory, Snips. I just can't believe he nearly used me to do so. I wouldn't jeopardize everything I hold dear. Not unless I was totally desperate."

"We know now that he wanted you on his side. To serve him as a Sith."

The very idea that Obi-Wan had concocted made Anakin want to vomit. The very idea of turning to the Dark Side was one only desperate people and Dark Jedi considered. Anakin had too much to live for. He had his family to consider.

"That's creepy." Ahsoka muttered.

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement.

"So what happens with the war?" Padmé asked, fear taking over her voice.

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka looked at Anakin expectantly.

"I can tell you one thing," Anakin said looking from his wife, best friend and Padawan. "The war is over."

* * *

 _Woohoo! The Clone Wars have officially ended! The next chapter is the aftermath in the senate. It's not going to be pretty. Next chapter Lux will have a brief appearance and Anakin will see Ahsoka's reaction to this. I look forward to next chapter._

 _To be continued..._


	8. Ch 7: Together As One

**A/N:** _I'm back with a new chapter. I've decided to take a brand new approach to publishing this story now. I'm going to publish what I have written so far and will continue to write one chapter at a time. That might be the easiest thing to do. Anyway, this chapter, like promised is the aftermath of Palpatine's death. Basically, the Senate goes crazy without its leader. As I was doing a brief edit on the chapter, I remembered from the Clone Wars episode Heroes on Both Sides that the Separatists and Republic have separate senates. When I wrote this chapter, I'd forgotten about it like I also forgot about the Jedi finding out about Order 66. I would like to thank the reviewers who mentioned it. I will squeeze it in somewhere AFTER Luke and Leia are born. Nothing says drama then a perfect family moment being ruined by work related issues. This chapter brings back Dex, who I think should have had had a role in The Clone Wars. I always liked him in Attack of the Clones. I honestly think he didn't get enough screen time. He will be play a minor reoccurring role in later chapters and will play a role in Obi-Wan getting the twins and Ezra (mostly Luke) out of trouble. I can't wait to share these chapters with you guys!  
_

* * *

 **Chapter 07: Together as One**

* * *

Moments passed into minutes before becoming hours. Obi-Wan left the Skywalkers and Ahsoka just before midnight while Ahsoka fell asleep on the couch. Anakin didn't have the heart to move her or send her back to the Temple. This was the first time in a long time he had seen her peaceful. So instead, he pulled out a blanket and covered her with it.

Up in the bedroom he shared with Padmé whenever he was home, he found her half-asleep. She rolled over when she heard him enter.

"Ahsoka, asleep?"

"Yeah," Anakin said as he climbed in next to his wife. "She's had a rough few hours, that's for sure." He pulled the blankets down.

"She's a good kid, Anakin. Don't knock that."

"I'm not." He sighed. "She has such potential. I can't forget the look that she gave me before out of my head. It was as if she was scared of what I might have done."

"I was scared too," Padmé admitted. "I was scared that we had lost you to something evil."

Anakin gave her a look of reassurance and a kiss to the forehead. "Never. I would never leave you or Ahsoka," he reached down to touch Padmé's stomach. "Or you, little one."

Padmé placed a hand over his; a calm look crossed her face.

"What?" Anakin grinned.

"What?" Padmé said with a slight laugh.

"I know that look. What are you thinking?"

Padmé pressed her lips together, thoughtfully. "We are finally free of any tyranny."

"Not entirely free. We still have the Jedi Council and the Queen to contend with."

"True, but don't think of tonight's events as an accident. Think of it as a victory against the one who started the war in the first place."

Anakin considered her words. "You're right, of course."

Padmé's eyes went wide as she nodded mischievously before she reached over to kiss him.

"Remind me again why I married you?" Anakin asked as he pulled back slightly.

"I have more brains under pressure?"

Anakin simply took it and smiled.

Padmé smiled in return and rested her head against his chest, the sound of his heartbeat lulling her to sleep.

* * *

Ahsoka awoke to feeling sore and cramped. It took her a moment to realize she had fallen asleep on Padmé's couch.

" _Morning, Ahsoka."_ Said a voice.

Looking up, Ahsoka caught sight of Padmé watching her from the opposite couch.

The Padawan groaned. "How long was I out?"

"About fourteen hours maybe it was less. Not really sure. You needed your rest."

"Where's Anakin?"

"With Obi-Wan," Padmé answered. "They're at an emergency council meeting."

At the mention of the meeting, Ahsoka pulled the blanket aside and jumped off the couch. "I'm late!"

Padmé forced herself to stand and pushed Ahsoka back onto the couch. The teenager wanted to protest but Padmé cut across her before she could open her mouth. "Anakin wanted you to rest. You've had a few big days."

"But I wanna be there. Anakin needs me." Ahsoka insisted.

"He has Obi-Wan there. The council knows he killed the Chancellor in self-defense."

"Has there been a meeting of the Senate?" Ahsoka asked.

"Not yet," Padmé said, reseating herself opposite Ahsoka. "There's one this evening."

"Are you going to go?"

"Yes. The chancellor was a member of the Naboo after all."

"What's going to happen?"

Padmé considered the question. "Honestly, I don't know."

Ahsoka looked at her, questioningly.

"From what I heard earlier, the Separatists are in disarray. So are my colleagues. It's strange to them not to have a leader to depend on."

"What about the Vice Chair?" Ahsoka asked. "Couldn't he take over?"

Padmé shook her head. "No. Mas Amedda was stood down after he was discovered to have known about Palpatine's plan for galactic conquest." The senator found herself shuddering at the thought of a takeover of the senate.

"Have there been any takers for the top job?"

Padmé bit her lip but before she could answer, Anakin said. _"Padmé?"_

"Down here." She said.

Anakin appeared a second later. "Ah, you're awake, Snips." A shadow of a smile crossed his face.

"Mornin' Master. Padmé and I were just talking about who might take the top job as the next Chancellor."

"Since when have you been interested in who becomes Chancellor?" Anakin raised his eyebrows, amused.

"Since I joined your little family," Ahsoka said, not looking at him. Her eyes remained on Padmé. "I can sense there's something troubling you."

Padmé looked at her young friend shamefully before looking up at Anakin who frowned and went to sit beside Ahsoka.

"I have been nominated to succeed Palpatine as Chancellor."

Anakin and Ahsoka looked at each other in surprise. With all their combined Force potential, they couldn't have expected this.

"That's great!" Ahsoka explained when the silence got too uncomfortable.

"Yeah," Anakin agreed. "Chancellor Amidala-Skywalker. Hmmm. I like it."

"Whom were you referring to?" Ahsoka snorted in amusement. "Her or you?"

Anakin shot Ahsoka with a dirty look.

"First, it would just be Amidala and secondly, I'm not going to run." Padmé said, giving her husband a look of disapproval.

"What?" Anakin and Ahsoka explained in unison.

"Why not?" Anakin asked.

"I'm not cut out to be Chancellor. Its a lot more responsibility then I can handle. I would be away more then I would be home and I can't do that to you and the baby, Ani."

Ahsoka, who had been about to argue, closed her mouth. Anakin shifted uncomfortably.

Anakin knew how she felt. He was away on the frontline of the war more then he was home and for the past three years, it really got him down. He hated being away from her and since he had spent months away and not known his wife was pregnant, he was trying to make up for his absence.

"If you want to go for Chancellor, go for it. We're aren't going to stop you."

Ahsoka didn't miss that Anakin had said 'we' not 'I'.

"I appreciate it, I do but I'm quite happy just being senator to Naboo."

"She makes a fair point, Anakin." Ahsoka said in a singsong voice.

"Oh, quiet you." Anakin squatted at her as if she was an annoying insect.

"Well, we aren't going to say what you can and can't do because you'll only go and do the opposite anyway."

Padmé looked at her husband before turning to look at his Padawan, giving her a grateful smirk. "You are right, Ahsoka. I would do the opposite. I only strive to do what is right."

Anakin inwardly sighed. He just couldn't win.

"Who else has been nominated?" Anakin asked curiously.

"Riyo Chuchi of Pantora. Bail Organa of Alderaan. Me, but I'm not going to run, and Mon Mothma of Chandrila." Padmé said, giving Anakin a look that read that she remembered saying a similar thing to Captain Panaka when Palpatine had been nominated all those years earlier.

"Who do you think will get it?" Ahsoka asked.

"My bet is on Chuchi." Anakin said bluntly.

Ahsoka nodded in agreement. They were both good friends with Senator Chuchi who just so happened to be Ahsoka's second political mentor.

"As much as I would like to agree with you both," Padmé said regrettably. "I think Mon might take it out."

"What makes you think that?" Anakin asked.

"Mon has a lot of support behind her. She, Bail and I were the founding members of the Delegation of 2000. But Mon did all the heavy lifting, so to speak. She was the driving force behind the movement."

"The movement clearly didn't get used the way you intended," Ahsoka said. "The Jedi Council was on the case too."

"Only because they had me on the case." Anakin interjected.

"Yeah, and you were reluctant because Palpatine was your friend." Ahsoka argued.

"Ahsoka…" Padmé cautioned but was ignored.

"…If you hadn't butted in…" Anakin argued in return.

"Palpatine would still be causing havoc!" Ahsoka countered.

"Anakin! Ahsoka!" Padmé cried before the argument could continue any further.

Anakin and Ahsoka bowed their heads, ashamed. "Sorry." They chorused.

"That's more like it." Padmé nodded.

The trio sat in silence for a moment.

"Will the Chancellor be decided upon tonight?" Ahsoka asked.

"Maybe," Padmé said thoughtfully. "There might be a bit of confusion as there won't be a vote of no confidence as no one is being ousted but the situation will be explained so don't worry about that."

"It's not that I'm worried about." Ahsoka said.

"Then what?" Anakin asked of his Padawan.

"How do you think they're going to react when they discover their leader was killed by a Jedi? Won't there be a munity against the Jedi?"

"I don't think so," Padmé told her. "You'd be surprised as to how many senators wanted Palpatine gone."

"If you had been in that senate session before the war started instead of Jar-Jar," Anakin said slowly. "Would you have given the go-ahead for Palpatine to have emergency powers?"

Padmé bit her lip. She wasn't sure how to respond. "If I had of known as to what he had been planning, I wouldn't have but I can't say for sure."

Padmé's tone indicated that she didn't want to talk about it anymore and that it was the end of the conversation.

The conversation ceased again but this time, it was permanent.

* * *

By the time evening rolled around, Ahsoka was ready to oversee the election of the new Chancellor. She knew many of the nominees personally and wasn't sure as to who she was willing to bet would become the Republic's next Chancellor, even if she had agreed with Anakin about Riyo Chuchi.

Padmé had left the apartment twenty minutes before, leaving Anakin and Ahsoka behind. They were going to take a different route to the viewing space, as they weren't technically allowed to witness this meeting. The viewing space was still open but the Jedi and other normal spectators were told not to intervene or watch the proceedings.

Anakin was determined to be there (in a way) for Padmé. Padmé had tried to talk him out of it but couldn't. He had said that he had missed many of her political achievements and wanted to make up for it.

When the time came to leave, the Master/Padawan pair slipped on cloaks and headed out the door and down the alternative route that they had chosen. It wasn't ideal but it the shortest route that they knew. After ten minutes, they arrived at the window, being careful not to be seen. They could see almost everything. They had arrived just in time to see the beginning of session.

* * *

Padmé looked around to see the mess that was currently the senate. She was in a senatorial pod that hovered above ground with others used by the other senators within the senate. With her were Bail Organa, Naboo Representative Jar-Jar Binks and her handmaiden, Motée.

The Separatists looked lost and panicked. Many of Padmé's colleagues appeared to be dazed, uncomfortable, paranoid and irritable as if they thought they were being targeted.

" _Padmé."_ Someone whispered next to her.

The expectant mother turned to see Bail, Jar-Jar and Motée watching her.

"Is it true what has been said? That Anakin killed Palpatine?" Bail asked in a whisper.

Bail was supposed to be in his own senatorial pod but he had seen how scared Padmé had been and decided, just for once, to be there in case she needed help.

Padmé swallowed as she turned her head to look at Bail. While Bail had been in on her secret, Jar-Jar wasn't and knowing him like she did, he'd blab to the first person or people he saw. To hide the truth from her longtime Gungan friend, she nodded and turned back just in time hear Mon Mothma call for peace.

"Order! Order!" The senator from Chandrila cried over the loud chatter and argument.

"This ought to be fun." Padmé muttered to Bail.

"What are you going to do about your nomination?" Bail asked.

"I'm going to withdraw."

Bail was stunned. "Why?"

"My family needs me, Bail. I can't just walk away from that."

Bail was ready to protest but the quieting of the room prevented him from do so.

"I know you are all lost and confused over the loss of Sheev Palpatine at the hand of Anakin Skywalker."

Murmurs rang out from all around the room but the shouts of dismay came heavily from the Separatists.

"This is an outrage!" Nute Gunray cried.

"Skywalker should be tried for assassination!" cried Grunray's counterpart.

"Don't you get it?" said a voice Padmé recognised to be Lux's. "Skywalker did us all a favor! From what I have been hearing all day, Palpatine was a Sith Lord!" He cried as the pod moved forward.

The members of the CIS all shifted uncomfortably.

 _Ah, so they did know why they were dealing with,_ Padmé thought to herself.

* * *

From their place at the viewing window, Anakin and Ahsoka appeared to be in the same mindset as Padmé. Neither had missed Lux's little notion of devotion.

Anakin looked over just as Ahsoka bowed her head to hide the heavy blush that had appeared on her cheeks and the shy smile that had appeared on her mouth. Wanting to comfort his Padawan, Anakin held back but sent a wave of reassurance to her via their Force bond.

Not wanting to upset or confuse her, Anakin turned back to the window.

Ahsoka looked up, joining him as they continued to watch the senate session.

* * *

Padmé sat back and listened as those around her argued over what should be done to avenge Palpatine's supposed murder.

"The Jedi should be ashamed of themselves!" Shouted a senator that was sided with the Separatists. "They planned to have their so-called Chosen One slaughter the Chancellor!"

Bail watched as Padmé's self-control crumbled but was amazed that she didn't shred a tear at the remarks being made against her husband.

At the back of the pod, Motée and Jar-Jar looked at each other. They had sat in on many senate meetings but this current one was a verbal war of words. It was like a virtual tennis match where no one was winning. They could tell by the way Padmé was standing that she was visibly uncomfortable with that was being said.

While Jar-Jar had no idea what was actually going on inside Padmé's private life, Motée did. The hurtful words that were been thrown around the chamber about Anakin were insulting. As much as the handmaiden wanted to comfort her mistress, she knew better then to jump in.

"…The Jedi should be punished!"

The words bounced around the space like a hover disc.

Padmé squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop the tears from sliding down her face. Those that knew her were well aware that Padmé was a very hard woman who very rarely cried but being pregnant made her overly emotional. Normally, she would have been angry at the outbursts that insulted Anakin's abilities and his loyalties to the Jedi.

Lux looked over from his pod to see the emotional turmoil that had taken over Padmé's face. He could tell that the things that were being said were upsetting her. Without a second thought, he spoke up.

"Order! Order!" he shouted over the arguing of his fellow senators. Only the senators on either side of him heard his shouts and went quiet. Even Mon Mothma heard him and was calling for calm.

"Quiet down! Everyone!" Mon yelled. The senate immediately went quiet.

Padmé looked up, wiping her eyes.

"Senator Bonteri," Mon said, her pod moving forward slightly. "Do you have something you would like to share with us?"

Padmé rose shakily to her feet and neared the edge of the pod where she could hear just what Lux wanted to share. Bail appeared at her shoulder, eager to hear as well.

"Yes," Lux spoke with bravery. "Why is everyone so quick to believe that General Skywalker killed Palpatine in cold blood?" His voice echoed around and across the room. No one spoke. He continued. "What happened to the senate that my late mother formerly served before she joined the Separatists? The one that actually _cared_ for their allies? You all know what happened?" He waited for a moment, adding a moment of drama. "You've all be exposed to Palpatine's lies." His voice was bitter. "I know a lot of you have worked with Skywalker in the past and have been overly pleased with his duty and his commitment to the Republic."

Quiet murmurs broke out.

Padmé placed her hands on the railing of her pod. She had felt the baby deliver a hard kick. She cringed.

Bail placed a hand on her shoulder. "Padmé, you alright?"

Padmé closed her eyes and nodded, her breath shaky. "Yes, I just felt the baby kick."

Motée rose from her place next to Jar-Jar and gently guided Padmé by the shoulders back to her seat. "Easy, my lady," the handmaiden told her mistress gently. "Not long now."

The senator gave her handmaiden a grateful nod.

* * *

From their place at the viewing window, Anakin and Ahsoka shuddered. They had felt the baby's presence in the Force and the kick it had delivered to Padmé. The Master and his Padawan looked at each other.

 _Did you feel that?_ Anakin eyes seemed to read.

Ahsoka nodded. "Least we know the baby is Force Sensitive."

Anakin leaned against the window frame, his eyes directed in the direction of Padmé's pod.

Ahsoka's eyes followed that of her master's.

* * *

" _You should all listen to yourselves and those around you,"_ Lux said as he continued speaking. "How many of you actually listened to what Palpatine was saying? How many of you believed him?

There more murmurs.

"Those of you that believed everything Palpatine told you are fools," Lux's voice showed no mercy. "You have all been blinded by Palpatine's m of the senate. He tried to turn us against the Jedi by making us believe that they were trying to overthrow us. I myself have worked many times with the Jedi and have seen that they are the people you shouldn't be blaming. They are innocent victims in this just as much as we are. Palpatine wanted to turn the Republic into an Empire so that he could rule the galaxy."

The faces of Lux's fellow senators paled to point where a couple of them wanted to vomit. They realised now that they had been totally blinded by Palpatine's discreet.

Padmé, Bail, Jar-Jar and Motée watched as the senators closest to them hung their heads in shame.

"We have more pressing matters to concur with," Bail spoke loudly, catching the attention of the other senators in the room. "We must choose a Chancellor now. The Republic depends on our decision to thrive."

Senators straightened up, ready to take on their next challenge, selecting a new Chancellor of the Republic.

"Who are our nominees?" Lux asked.

"Myself," Bail said. "Senator Mothma, Senator Chuchi, Senator Chuchi and Senator Amidala."

"Actually," Padmé said standing up. "I withdraw my nomination."

There were murmurs throughout the room but no one spoke or refused Padmé's dismissal of her nomination.

"Very well then." Mon said with a nod of her head.

Within an hour, the votes were in and counted and the winner of the election was Mon Mothma. There was much cheering from those that were supporters of Mothma, including Bail and Jar-Jar. Padmé would have joined in if she weren't feeling sick.

Bail, seeing his friend's eagerness to get out of there, motioned for Motée to rise and to return to her mistress' side. "Motée, take Padmé home, she needs rest."

Motée nodded and gently lowered the pod to the ground closest to the door. The group then proceeded to climb out with Motée leading Padmé out the door and in the direction of the apartment.

* * *

At the senate-viewing window, Anakin frowned as the pod he knew that contained Padmé slowly lowered to the ground before any of the others moved.

Ahsoka, who had been watching turned to look at the look of concern on the face of her master. "Master?"

Grabbing his Padawan by the shoulders, Anakin half-pulled, half-pushed her back in the direction of his wife's apartment.

* * *

Motée was just sitting Padmé down when Anakin and Ahsoka entered.

"Ani. Ahsoka. I didn't expect you both to be back so soon."

"We were watching the meeting. We could sense just about everything." Ahsoka stated matter-of-factly as she and Anakin trudged down the steps.

"You alright?" Anakin asked, worried as he stepped away from Ahsoka and over to Padmé.

"Ani, I'm fine." Padmé said, trying not to get frustrated.

"You didn't seem fine," Ahsoka said, crossing her arms. "We could feel it. You were ready to pass out."

Padmé bit the inside of her cheek, to stop herself from saying something that she was bound to regret later.

"I'm gonna go down to Dex's. I'll be back as soon as I can." Ahsoka turned and bolted for the door.

Once the Padawan was out of earshot, Padmé turned to her husband, miserable. "I'm sorry for being a burden." She said, her head falling onto Anakin's shoulder.

"Oh," Anakin chuckled as he pulled her close. "You aren't a burden." He placed a hand over her stomach. The senator placed her own hand over his.

"I feel like one." Padmé grumbled. Anakin kissed her forehead.

"You aren't."

"I can't stop being emotional and I hate it."

"It's all part of being pregnant. I remember some of the stories my mom use to tell me. She use to say that when the women went into labor, they use to blame their husbands for getting them knocked up in the first place. Some even threatened to kill them."

Padmé smiled. "She did have a point."

"I hope you don't saying things like that when our little one is born."

Padmé gave Anakin a pointed look. "You know that _you_ are the one that determines our child's gender. Not me."

Anakin suddenly felt a little uncomfortable but quickly recovered. "Ah, I didn't then but I do now. I still think we procreated a girl."

Padmé snorted. "Of course you would. Most fathers want daughters, don't they?"

Anakin's arms tightened around her. "I thought saying was that all fathers want sons."

Padmé smirked as she rested her head against Anakin's shoulder. "Whatever the case, this child will be loved."

"Agreed."

* * *

Ahsoka was out of breath before she even reached the Jedi Temple quarter but she forced herself to keep running. She had to reach Dex's and get Padmé's tea. She hated seeing Padmé feeling sick.

After another ten minutes, the Padawan skidded to halt outside Dex's Diner. She heaved the door open and would have fallen over if Dex hadn't been there to catch her.

"Ahsoka, lass. What can I do for ya?" Dex asked as he guided Ahsoka over to a nearby table.

"Padmé's feeling sick still."

Dex smiled kindly. "I'll whip up some tea."

"Thanks, Dex."

Dex then disappeared into the kitchen before returning a moment later with a takeaway cup of his herbal tea.

"How is Anakin taking to his missus' pregnancy?" Dex asked Ahsoka in a low voice.

"Better then I thought he would have. He's incredibly excited to about the prospect of becoming a father."

"He always did have a secret soft spot for the little 'uns."

Ahsoka blinked, surprised. "Really?"

Dex nodded. "Oh yes. When Anakin was about your age, Obi-Wan assigned him to sit in on a few of Master Yoda's classes. According to Obi-Wan, Anakin loved every second of it."

Ahsoka looked amazed. Anakin normally was easily annoyed by the antics of the younglings. He often believed that they held him back. But now, Ahsoka thought otherwise. He had only been pretending. She would have to dig into him whenever she got the chance.

"I hadn't thought of that. Do you think that because he's teaching me, he's had a better look at what being a parent could be like for him?"

Dex scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe. The last time I saw him, he would not stop talking about you."

"Me? Since when would he do that?"

"Since he discovered that he sees a lot of himself in you."

A small smile crossed Ahsoka's face. "Maybe you're right. I'd better get this to Padmé." She said standing up.

"Wish 'em well for me, will ya?"

"I will." Ahsoka said before she headed out the door.

Dex watched her go, wondering if the Padawan knew what she had gotten herself into by allying herself to her secretly married master and his heavily pregnant wife. Dex did not know Ahsoka as well as he knew Anakin and Obi-Wan but he knew her well enough to know that she would not have gotten herself into this situation if she did not believe in its cause. The Besalisk smiled as the back of Ahsoka's head disappeared into the distance.

* * *

Ahsoka took her time returning to Padmé's apartment, though she did fear that the tea would be cold before she got there. It was a silly thing to think about but she just wanted Padmé to get better. It pained her every time Anakin hurried to his wife's side. Despite knowing Anakin would tell her she was helping every way she knew how, she felt she wasn't doing enough.

The child Padmé was carrying was the future of the Jedi Order as well as Ahsoka's soon-to-be spoiled rotten godchild. She could only wonder what would become of Anakin and Padmé if the news of their child's birth got out. Everything that they had worked for to keep their marriage and their child a secret would be blown out into space. Ahsoka could only shudder at the thought.

Finally, she found herself outside the apartment. She headed inside the moment the door slid up. She found Padmé and Anakin still sitting on the couch.

"About time," Anakin joked. "We were beginning to wonder if you'd taken a detour."

Ahsoka looked him with a hard glare that made him look away. _Not funny._ Her eyes read.

Padmé watched her husband's lips turn up into a grin. _Oh no._ She thought. She knew that look.

"You know, Snips," Anakin said thoughtfully. "I never thought I would say this but I just wanted to thank you."

Ahsoka looked at him as she handed Padmé her tea. "If you're gonna say what I think you're gonna say, please shut up."

Anakin's grin turned into a playful smile.

"Anakin." Padmé muttered.

Anakin ignored her, his gaze still on his Padawan. "There have been moments during this whole…" he paused to think of the right word. "Situation that I have wondered if you'd become _attached._ " A pleased smirk crossed his face just as Ahsoka's face fell to an expression of disbelief.

"Really? You're going there?"

"Okay, you two," Padmé said wanting the argument to be over with. "That's enough."

Anakin would have ignored his wife's intervention if she hadn't of looked at him like she was ready to kill him and be sick all at once. "Sorry." He mumbled.

Ahsoka bowed her head, biting her lip as her way of apologizing. "Just for the record," she raised her head, her intense blue-eyed gaze settled on her master. "I _have_ become overly attached as I remember a certain guy and I'm not gonna mention any names, say that I was family."

Anakin bit back a retort. What Ahsoka had said had been thrown around a lot since Padmé had been able to talk her out of not leaving the Jedi Order. He did feel however, that every time it was spoken, the bond between him and his Padawan had become stronger, more unbreakable. He nodded but didn't say anything.

It was true that Masters and Padawans formed strong bonds. Many of the current Jedi Knights such as Aayla Secura saw their Masters as their own family in a non-attachment sort of way. Aayla had always seen her Master Quinlan Vos as the father she never knew. While Ahsoka, despite not being paired with Plo Koon as his Padawan, had always seen him as the father she never knew. Obi-Wan had felt the same about Qui-Gon Jinn.

In a way, Anakin had thought of Qui-Gon as the father _he_ never had. Of course, everyone knew he didn't have a father at all, having been conceived through the Force. He was the first male in his family and regardless of what Padmé gave birth to, he knew in some way, his family would thrive and continue to serve as heroes to the Republic.

Padmé finished her tea and sat the empty cup on the floor. She was feeling much better but what made her feel better was the sight before her of Anakin and Ahsoka staring at the floor, ashamed to look at each other. As much as she loved and adored them both, they could really act childish at times. They were both big kids at heart. She understood now how Obi-Wan must have felt when the pair constantly bickered. She could only imagine Obi-Wan sighing and walking away, his hands in the air.

" _Padmé?"_ she looked over at Ahsoka who was watching her with amazement.

"Oh sorry," the senator shook her head. "Just thinking."

"About?" Anakin prompted.

"Obi-Wan."

Anakin and Ahsoka looked at each other.

Upon seeing their expressions, Padmé felt she ought to explain. "I was thinking about what he might say if he saw the two of you bickering like small children."

"He'd just walk away and with his hands in the air," Ahsoka said. "We're lovable. Right, Anakin?"

"Now _that_ I can agree with." Anakin beamed.

Padmé scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "I thought so."

For a moment nobody spoke. The trio looked at one another before laughter broke out between them. They laughed so hard that Padmé cringed, causing the laughter to cease.

"You alright?" Anakin asked quickly.

Padmé nodded. "Yes," she murmured. "I don't think the little one likes it too much when I laugh so hard my sides hurt," She sighed dramatically. "Why do you, my little one, wish to make mommy's life a misery?" she patted her belly only to receive a small kick from the baby.

Anakin and Ahsoka snuck a look at each other.

"Motherhood's getting to you, isn't it?" Ahsoka chuckled.

"You could say that," Padmé smiled dreamily. "I have wanted to be a mother for a long time."

"You're finally about to get your wish." Anakin smiled fondly.

"I couldn't have done this without you." Padmé smiled lovingly at him before touching her forehead to his.

Anakin smiled and closed his eyes.

Ahsoka watched the moment with keen admiration. She was glad Anakin and Padmé were happy. Their baby was going to change everything. She might not have been able to see the future like Master Yoda could but she knew that for certain. The birth of a child was always a joyous one. Getting up, she stepped over and joined Padmé who had just pulled back from Anakin's embrace.

Wrapping an arm around her young friend, Padmé smiled. On one side of her was the love of her life and the father of her unborn child while on the other, was their young guardian and the godmother of their son or daughter. Their little family had come full circle.

Ahsoka rested her head against Padmé's shoulder. She ignored the look of mock annoyance Anakin was giving her. Though she could sense him and clearly he didn't like to share Padmé was anyone. Ahsoka knew of course that he was only joking with her. Suddenly a strangled laugh escaped her.

"We're odd little family, aren't we?"

Anakin chuckled as he reached behind Padmé and have a gentle yet playful tug of one of Ahsoka's growing montrals.

"I quite agree, Snips. I quite agree."

It didn't matter whether two of the three of them were human while the third was Togruta. In the next few weeks or whenever the baby chose to be born, their little family would thrive. He or she would be born and raised in a galaxy where they were safe and loved. Majority of the dangers were gone now and Anakin would have fought damn hard to keep it that way.

His son or daughter deserved to feel safe and not be hunted. As much as it pained him to think about it, it would be up to the child when they were older enough to understand, whether they wanted to be a Jedi or not. Anakin wasn't going to push them. Anakin had long considered leaving the Order himself for Padmé's sake but thought better of it. Leaving would make the council suspicious, not that they weren't already. He still thought leaving the Order once the baby was born was on the cards but he didn't want to leave Ahsoka and Obi-Wan behind. They meant too much to him and he knew they would never forgive him if he and Padmé took their child and simply left without a word.

No, they would want to be a part of the child's life and there was no way Anakin nor Padmé could say no to that. Ahsoka was already the doting aunt and godmother and Obi-Wan was already the uncle that would be very protective of the little one. Things were going to change and Anakin wasn't about to stop them.

Ahsoka rested her head against Padmé's shoulder and laughed. Padmé couldn't help but laugh with her.

Anakin simply shook his head.

* * *

 _There you have it. Next up, we have a simple conversation about baby names that gets out of hand, Padmé gets emotional when Anakin unintentionally calls their child an it, Ahsoka asks for study help while trying to play happy families-to-be with Anakin and Padmé._ _Should be great fun. Next chapter is a light and fun chapter in other words.  
_

 _To be continued..._


	9. Ch 8: Naming Blunders

**A/N:** _I'm back! Haha! So, this is the fun chapter before all the excitement begins. The next two chapters will be Padmé's labor and Luke and Leia's births. I had been aiming to get this chapter edited yesterday but I didn't have a lot of time. I am glad to report that I am 2,000 words into the next chapter so that should be up in the next couple of days. For anyone that reads Separated by War, I have put that on temporary hiatus... again so I can focus on this. I would also like to thank everyone who has reviewed, followed and liked the fic thus far. I get excited everything time I see a review, a like or a follow in my inbox and I am so glad people are reading it. I am THRILLED that people are liking the idea of a 122 chapter story. I have never written so long before and I am so glad people aren't thinking that I'm crazy for trying to pull this off. So here's chapter 8: Naming Blunders._

* * *

 **Chapter 08: Naming Blunders**

* * *

" _No, no, no!"_ Ahsoka shrieked. "You can't name your child _that!_ "

It was a few days after the senate announcement that Mon Mothma was now the new Chancellor of the Republic. Ahsoka was sitting opposite Anakin and Padmé in the senator's office. They had been discussing baby names and it had suddenly gotten out of hand.

"Why not?" Anakin asked.

"You aren't naming your child, if it's a boy, Anakin Skywalker Junior!"

"I quite agree, Anakin." Padmé said agreeing with Ahsoka.

"One of you is enough. We don't need another one." Ahsoka said waving her hands in the air.

Anakin took offense to that. "Excuse me! _I'm_ the baby's father and I say you get no say in what I get to name my child."

"Anakin…" Padmé started but Ahsoka cut her off.

"Well, _I'm_ the baby's godmother. I should get some say," she looked to Padmé. "Right?" she frowned.

"I quite agree," Padmé nodded. "I think Ahsoka should get some say."

"Oh come on!" Anakin exclaimed.

The two women before him ignored him.

"What did you have in mind?" Padmé asked, ignoring her husband's annoyed eye roll.

Ahsoka thought for a moment. "Well, I've always like the name Luke if it's a boy."

"What if it's a girl?" Anakin asked, suddenly interested.

"Leia's a pretty name." Ahsoka said.

Padmé seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Hmm. I like it. What do you think?" she looked to Anakin who was just as thoughtful.

"It is pretty," he agreed. "We will just have to see."

Ahsoka frowned in amusement. "See what? You've only got a short amount of time to go until the baby's born. You'd better talk about it like soon and choose," she looked at Anakin who stared at her like she had blown a circuit. "Really, the suspense is killing me." She said sarcastically.

"Knock it off, Snips," Anakin commanded. "There's plenty of time."

"What if the baby decides to come early?" Padmé said thoughtfully. "Ahsoka's right, Anakin."

Anakin shouldn't have been surprised that Padmé would side with Ahsoka so he said nothing and rolled his eyes.

"Anakin, please don't use your general voice in front of the little one." Padmé said as she felt the baby aim a sharp kick to her ribs.

Ahsoka laughed in spite of herself.

"What's funny?" Anakin said. "This isn't funny, Ahsoka."

"Sorry," Ahsoka said between snorts of laughter. "I-I've never heard you use your general voice _anywhere outside_ the ranks of the 501st. You better not use it on any potential partners the poor kid might have."

"I'm not too worried about the girls that will come flocking," Anakin said smoothly. "If the baby is a boy, he'll be able to handle himself."

Padmé and Ahsoka exchanged looks. "What if it's the girl you want?" Padmé asked.

"Well the boys had better watch out. No one and I repeat _no one_ will get between _my_ little girl."

Ahsoka clenched her jaw. This was getting annoying so she thought it might be better to switch subjects. "Remember the holocron that Master Nu gave you a while ago?"

"Yeah."

"Did you ever find out what was on it?"

Anakin shook his head. "No, and I don't think I wanna know. Why?"

The Padawan shrugged. "No reason."

Anakin wanted to ask her more but one look from Padmé told him otherwise.

"Then we won't find out." Ahsoka said thoughtfully.

Anakin shook his head but said nothing.

"Can we get back the baby names now?" Padmé asked, breaking the awkward barrier of silence between her husband and his Padawan.

Anakin and Ahsoka snapped out of their staring match to look at Padmé who was looking between them.

"Yeah, why not?" Anakin said a cheesy grin.

For the next few hours, the trio sat and talked baby names. Most of the names Ahsoka rejected which annoyed Anakin

"Will you stop being so picky?" Anakin groaned.

Padmé sat quietly, nodding.

"What? None of those names would suit your baby."

"How do you know?" Padmé asked. "Have you ever named a baby before?"

"No," Ahsoka admitted. "But I would like to be the first to say, anything is better then Anakin Skywalker Junior."

"You rejected every name we suggested!" Anakin exploded. "There are only so many names in the galaxy."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes and threw up her hands. "I give up."

"You haven't ruled out Luke and Leia yet." Padmé said.

"Yeah, because _I_ came up with the suggestion." Ahsoka said half-heartedly.

"I still like them. I think they're just perfect."

Anakin looked at his wife, unsure as to whether he should respond.

"You look about ready to explode," Ahsoka said mischievously. Anakin turned to look at her. "Out with it."

"Why don't we just wait and see what the baby is and then we'll name it."

"It?" Anakin and Ahsoka looked back over at Padmé who looked as if she had just been slapped. "You just called our child 'it'." She squeaked.

Ahsoka jumped up and went to comfort her. Looking up at Anakin she mouthed, "Bad move, SkyGuy."

Anakin glared at her through slited eyes. "Okay, you know what, Ahsoka, let's get you back to the Temple before you say something I'll never forgive you for." He stepped out from behind his wife's desk and grabbed Ahsoka by the shoulders, practically pushing her out the door.

"Bye Padmé!" Ahsoka called as Anakin pushed her further and further out the door.

Padmé chuckled. "Bye Ahsoka." She called.

She shook her head as she went back to her paperwork.

* * *

A half hour later, Anakin returned to the office after escorting Ahsoka back to the Temple.

"How was she?" Padmé asked as he entered and sat across from her.

"She wasn't happy." Anakin told her with a sigh. "That's Ahsoka for you. Always wanting to get involved."

"You have to love that about her, though. I don't know where we'd be without her."

Anakin regarded her. "Please don't tell me you wanna go with some of Ahsoka's name suggestions."

"Why not?" Padmé laughed. "She did have a few good suggestions."

Anakin eyed her like she'd gone crazy. "Ahsoka's really gotten to you, hasn't she?"

Padmé smiled as she rose from her chair and walked around her desk to settle herself in her husband's lap. "She's been… inspirational."

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "'Inspirational'? That's a new word for you. Though, I do have to admit you've got a fair point."

"She's gotten to you too." Padmé teased mockingly.

"Only because she's my Padawan. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Padmé smiled inspite of the fact that Anakin had screwed up his face at the idea of Ahsoka's naming suggestions being considered for the name of their child.

"I know she did suggest some not so great ones but I did like Luke and Leia. Can you at least consider them?"

Anakin sighed. He had to admit Luke and Leia were two of the best names Ahsoka had suggested. "I can't deny you anything can I?"

Padmé shook her head. "No."

Anakin kissed her on the cheek. "You're getting too cheeky for your good. Yet _another_ Ahsoka trait. I hope the baby doesn't pick up too many of her traits."

"I don't think you are going to get your wish, Ani."

"What do you mean?"

"With Ahsoka as the baby's godmother, she's gonna play a big role in his or her life and plus, saying that is like saying you don't want our son or daughter to pick things up from you. Ahsoka has picked traits up from you."

Anakin bit back an argument.

Padmé snuggled closer to her husband. She even chose to ignore to the fact that he hadn't argued with her logic. "Not long now." She sighed as the baby gave a mighty kick.

Anakin, whose hand had been sitting on his wife's stomach, smiled. "You're getting determined, little one." He cooed. "Don't make your mother's life too much of a misery before you arrive."

Padmé smiled up at him lovingly. "I think we should start planning what we're going to do after the baby is born."

Anakin cringed. He had been dreading this conversation for weeks. He knew that they had to talk about it sooner rather then later. "Alright." He sighed. "Let's get this over and done with."

"I know you don't want to talk about this but we need to be prepared."

"I know, it's just I never thought that we'd have to risk everything. If this backfires, I'll lose my seat on the council, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka and I can't bear that."

Padmé understood exactly how he was feeling. If the Queen couldn't see reason behind her actions for marrying Anakin and having his child then she could kiss her political career goodbye. She would be seen as an intergalactic disgrace because she chose to love a man who wasn't a politician. She understood now why Obi-Wan had no love for politicians.

"I know Ahsoka will stand up for you," Padmé said slowly. "As will Obi-Wan. But who else will? Don't most the council hate you?"

"Yep," Anakin said half-heartedly. "I don't know who else will. Most of them are against me. Though, Fisto and Plo Koon might side with me. I can kiss my career goodbye."

Padmé gave Anakin's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. She knew that being a Jedi had always been his dream. He now had his wish but now that he was about to become a father, his family came first.

"I know this is hard, Ani but we need to keep our opinions open."

"What opinions?" Anakin scoffed. "If I get expelled, I will be cut off from Obi-Wan and Ahsoka and I know they will be really unhappy if that happens. Knowing Ahsoka, she'll probably cause a revolt."

Padmé nodded in agreement and sighed as she rested her head on Anakin's shoulder. "If Ahsoka has her way," she said thoughtfully. "She'll probably sit in the middle of the Council Chamber and go on strike."

Anakin snorted. "Ahsoka on strike. That's a good one."

"Just don't tell her that." Padmé pursed her lips in an attempt not to laugh. "What? She would. If she's as stubborn as you are, it wouldn't surprise me."

"I am not stubborn."

"You are." Padmé laughed.

"I am not." Anakin protested but a smile a taken its place on his face.

Small moments like this made the whole three-year Clone Wars campaign look petty.

"Do I have to call Ahsoka or Obi-Wan?"

"No! I mean, no. That won't be necessary."

Padmé gave him a pointed look. "Actually, I know Ahsoka would kill both of us if she isn't there when the baby is born."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Anakin asked. "You want Ahsoka there when the baby's born?"

"Why not? She is their godmother."

"'Their'? So we're having twins or triplets now?" Anakin teased.

Padmé rolled her eyes. "I never said that."

"Do you think we'd be able to cope?"

"What do you mean?"

"If we had twins or triplets. Do you think we could cope?"

"Maybe. Of course, Ahsoka would be more then happy to help."

"More mentions of Ahsoka. It's as if you love her more then you love me." Anakin pouted.

Padmé leaned over to kiss him. "As much I love you, I love Ahsoka just as much. She is like a sister to both of us."

"Just don't let the Jedi council hear you say that." Anakin joked.

"Why?"

"They will reprimand you for saying that you have an 'attachment' to my Padawan."

"If they scold me they scold you too."

"Why me?"

"Like you said, she's your Padawan."

 _Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Anakin groaned. He'd been enjoying annoying his wife. He pulled his comlink out of his pocket.

"Skywalker."

" _Cut it out, it's me."_ Ahsoka groaned.

"Ahsoka!" Anakin said tightly. "We were just talking about you."

" _I bet you were."_ Ahsoka said sarcastically.

"What's up, Ahsoka?" Padmé said giving Anakin a hard look.

" _Hi Padmé,"_ Ahsoka said brightly. _"I got a question for you."_

"Ask away." Padmé said.

" _Ah, I've got an assignment question here I don't get."_

"Just ask the question." Anakin said impatiently.

" _Okay, okay, geez,"_ Ahsoka said. _"Okay, here's the question: 'The chancellor calls a senate meeting in the middle of the night. Not all senators attend. What happens next?'"_

Padmé thought for a moment. "That's an easy one." She said.

"It is?" Anakin frowned.

"The meeting is recorded and sent to any senator that didn't attend."

"I never knew that." Anakin said.

"It's top secret information." Padmé said half-heartedly.

" _Of course it is."_ Ahsoka said, her voice sounding incredibly close.

"Ah, Ahsoka? Where are you?" Anakin asked.

" _Here."_

Anakin and Padmé turned to see Ahsoka standing just behind Anakin.

"Hey." Anakin smiled.

Ahsoka shut off her comlink connection. "I was on my way over here when I thought I'd call."

"I thought you were going at stay at the Temple." Anakin raised his eyebrows.

Ahsoka shrugged as she moved around the couch to sit beside her master. "I was but I just couldn't concerate in my room." She pulled a face.

"What's that face for?" Anakin teased. "You eat something you shouldn't have?"

"Anakin." Padmé scolded.

"I dunno." Ahsoka admitted shaking her head. "I felt this odd presence."

Anakin and Padmé exchanged looks.

"Good or bad?" Anakin asked.

"Good… I think." Ahsoka said uncertainly. "And it feels really close." She shifted herself over so that she was sitting beside Padmé. "Now it feels really, _really_ close." She placed a hand over Padmé's stomach.

"Oh." Anakin said in realization, his eyes going wide.

"What?" Padmé and Ahsoka echoed.

"I think the baby was calling through the Force for you."

"I didn't even know that was possible." Ahsoka said.

"Neither did I." Anakin told her.

"Aw. Did little Skyguy want Aunty Ahsoka's attention? Oh yes, I love you too little one." Ahsoka cooed to Padmé's stomach.

Anakin screwed up his face. "Creeping me out." He said uncomfortably.

Padmé smiled fondly at their young friend. "Easy does it, Soka. I don't want the baby to favor you over their father." She aimed a smug look at her husband who narrowed his eyes at them.

"Kill me now." Anakin groaned.

"I can arrange that," Ahsoka perked up. "Obi-Wan's got plenty of excuses for wanting to kill you."

Anakin moved over so he was sitting next to Padmé who was now sitting in the middle of him and Ahsoka. "Can't I go two days without my two favorite girls and my best friend wanting me dead?"

Ahsoka and Padmé looked at each other before saying in unison, "No" before erupting into laughter.

Anakin couldn't help but laugh with them. He sighed. "If only there were more moments like this."

Padmé and Ahsoka nodded in agreement.

"There will be time," Ahsoka reassured him. "When the baby is born. Everything will fall into place."

"When did you get so wise?" Anakin smirked.

"I've got a good teacher." Ahsoka said thoughtfully. "So," she said catching Padmé and Anakin's attention. "Have you given any more thought to the baby's name?"

"I know what you're implying," Anakin said. "We have put a _lot_ of thought into the baby's name."

"We have?" Padmé asked.

"We have," Anakin said with a wink. "And we will tell you what we have decided _after_ the baby is born."

"Oh come on!" Ahsoka exclaimed in annoyance.

"Sorry," Anakin said. He wasn't sorry at all. "It's a surprise."

Padmé's face fell. She knew he was bluffing.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "Trust you to ruin a great moment."

"Yeah, well, I'm unique."

Ahsoka knew it was only a matter of time before Anakin became a huge softie. This baby was going to change all their lives but if she was honest with herself, she was just happy to be Aunt Ahsoka.

There was silence for a moment before footsteps sounded.

" _Anakin."_

The bickering trio turned to see Obi-Wan watching them with amusement playing over his face. His arms were crossed over his chest as he watched his three bickering friends.

"Obi-Wan, hi." Anakin said, a little too enthusiastically.

"What are you three arguing over this time?" Obi-Wan questioned as he stepped deeper into the room.

"I wasn't involved." Padmé raised her hands. "It's all them." She pointed to her husband and his Padawan.

"Yes, I see that."

"Hi Master Obi-Wan." Ahsoka grinned in spite of the look Anakin was giving her.

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Hello Ahsoka. I hope you haven't been teaching your godchild bad habits."

Ahsoka huffed. "Of course not. If I did, these two wouldn't let me live it down." She pointed at Anakin and Padmé.

"I wouldn't mind a little version of Anakin running around," Padmé said flatly. "It would be like having him home 24/7."

Anakin was surprised at his wife's words. "You actually _want_ a little version of me around?" he asked.

Ahsoka groaned and rolled her eyes. "No it wouldn't be good. It would be _disasterous!_ " she raised her arms like she was trying to explain how big an explosion was.

"I don't think-" Padmé started to say but was cut off by Obi-wan.

"I think Ahsoka is right. _One_ of him is enough."

"I have been saying that since you told me you were pregnant." Ahsoka told Padmé. "But you didn't listen to me."

Anakin smirked. Seeing Ahsoka worked up was worth every second. _Sucks to be you right now._

Ahsoka turned to look at him, a painted eyebrow raised in a look that clearly said _I officially hate you right now._

Obi-Wan walked over to his former Padawan's Padawan and grabbed her by the shoulders, steering her towards the closest couch.

Ahsoka sat on the couch when she felt Obi-Wan's hands push down on her shoulders. She crossed her arms, unhappily. She didn't like it when Anakin 'dismissed' her. Also, she hated it when Anakin gave her that smirk that told her that life was about to get fifty times more difficult.

The war had changed everybody in Anakin's little circle of peers.

For Anakin it had changed his view on the universe as a whole. He had once seen it as an endless scope of uncharted territory that was just waiting to be explored. Now, he saw it as a wasteland of endless destruction. So many planets had been ripped apart because of the war Palpatine had started. Anakin knew that it would probably take years for most the planets involved in the war to recover completely. It had also pushed him to limits. He had been forced to hide his private life from everyone, including two of his best friends. While he had been able salvage his relationship with his Padawan, he had nearly lost his wife and best friend.

He had nearly lost his beloved wife to some other guy who had always loved her. Anakin knew now that Padmé could have very easily ended their marriage and gone back to Clovis. He also knew that she hadn't wanted to be tied down to a guy who would wrestle her to change her alliances. Padmé was too strong-willed to side with those who wanted to do wrong by the Republic. Anakin also knew that the one thing that kept Naboo's beloved senator going was her love for him. As hard as hiding a marriage that wasn't even supposed to exist was, Padmé had been willing to make their love work and she would have given anything to see him come home safe every time he went back to the frontlines.

The one thing Anakin was glad of was the bond that Padmé had formed with Ahsoka. The two were virtually two peas in a pod and always looking for ways to tease and undermine him. They kept each other from falling apart whenever he got himself into serious trouble. He would never forget the torment that Ahsoka would thrust upon him when she learned of what had _actually_ happened during the Senate Hostage Crisis. Padmé had been nice enough to Ahsoka to fill her in on everything that occurred that near fateful day.

For Padmé, the war had seen politics at its weakest and darkest point. The CIS thought they ruled the Senate. After Mon had become Chancellor, she had been sure that the CIS were cut from the Senate all together. Under Palpatine, Padmé had seen the Senate become divided and begin to run scared. She had had a feeling that something wasn't quite right with Palpatine and knew now that she had been right to be suspicious. She still recalled the look on Anakin's face when he had told her and Ahsoka what he had done in Palpatine's office that fateful night. It had scared her and it still did. Now that the war was over, she and Anakin could raise their child in peace but one thing she thought was certain: their careers were all but over.

She was glad that Anakin would stand by her through thick and thin. He would make an amazing father. After all, he had had practice with not just Ahsoka but Rotta, Jabba's infant son after the Battle of Christophsis. Sure, Ahsoka wasn't a baby but he had practically raised her from the age of fourteen. The senator could watch Ahsoka and Anakin bicker and not get tired. If she was honest, she perfered to watch them argue then what she did her fellow senators. At least with her husband and honorary sister-in-law, she could break their arguments up. With her fellow senators, trying to break up an argument was like hitting her head on a durasteel wall.

Becoming a mother had always been one of Padmé's childhood dreams. She had always loved children and took pride in the fact she was about to become a mother to a little version of Anakin. She just prayed that Ahsoka didn't nickname the child Skyguy 2.0. Skygirl would have been worse if the baby was a girl. Padmé had smiled when Anakin had said he wanted a daughter. She knew the reason why to. He wanted a daughter to 'upstage' Ahsoka.

Ahsoka hadn't cared what the baby was going to be. As long as the child was healthy and as long was she got to play the 'Aunty Ahsoka' card, she was happy. Padmé knew that Ahsoka was going to spoil this child rotten. Being Anakin's 'little sister' had given Ahsoka exclusive access to Baby Skywalker, not that Padmé minded. She loved Ahsoka dearly and was more then happy to have her in the baby's life. The senator didn't care how much Anakin whined about Ahsoka constantly being around. She was glad to have another girl around to talk to, not that life, as a Jedi's wife was ever boring or lonely. A life as secret as hers wasn't for the faint hearted. It was for those who could swallow the idea of having a Jedi for a spouse whose life was constantly in the line of fire on the battlefield.

Ahsoka had come to know Anakin well in the last three years. She knew his moods and temperament better then anyone, especially Obi-Wan and Padmé. In the little group that Anakin liked to dub his inner circle, Ahsoka was the optimistic one. She often thought back to her first mission with Anakin, which had been to rescue and return Rotta the Huttlet to Jabba. Thinking back now, it had been a massive 'babysitting' mission. Sure, Anakin's experience with Hutts had helped but it hadn't ebbed his hatred for them. Sure, he had come to 'like' Rotta a little bit but the little guy hadn't been able to make Anakin forget his past as a slave to Gradulla. Ahsoka understood that her master would _never_ get over his past. It wasn't that easy.

Since Palpatine's death at Anakin's hand, Ahsoka had practically clung to Anakin like her life depended on it. Anakin, of course, found it annoying but he had learned to deal with it. His (not so little anymore) Padawan was like an extension of his sword arm. She was almost always at his side as he had once been at Obi-Wan's. Inside the walls of the Jedi Temple, Anakin was the stern master that Obi-Wan had once been to him. But in the comfort of their quarters in the Temple and in Padmé's apartment, they were simply Anakin and Ahsoka, friends, honorary siblings that fought like R2 and 3PO did.

The duo and Padmé had kept their heads high as the accusations against Anakin were flung around like Gungan boomer bombs from the Invasion of Naboo. Ahsoka and Padmé had been Anakin's biggest supporters and were proud to acknowledge that even if it did cause people to get suspicious.

In all honesty, the whole having to keep a secret thing was getting tiresome. As much as the trio (and Obi-Wan) hated having to hide their secrets, they knew their alliances to the Jedi and to the Senate were the top priorities.

* * *

 _So that's chapter 8 done and dusted. Like I mentioned before, chapters 9 and 10 are the BIG chapters that I know everybody has been waiting for. I am so happy with how people are receiving this story and I hope you all sick with it to the end. So now I've got 9 chapters down, just 113 to go. Not that I'm counting. So in the next few days, expect to see chapter 9 up._

 _To be continued..._


	10. Ch 9: Labor

**A/N:** _Hi all! I am so sorry for the wait. I've been having a hard time. My grandmother passed yesterday and I've been trying to come to terms with it. Anyway, Here's part 1 of the big chapter trilogy. I know I said that there was only two big chapters but I made an error. There's actually three. This is just the first one. So this is the labor chapter. Next chapter will be the birth chapter and the chapter after that will be the confession to the Jedi council. I wanted to address a very good idea that a reviewer came up with. I can't remember who it was now but I would love to thank them. They suggested adding Ahsoka going to look for her parents. This is a very good idea but it won't be in this story. I have it all planned out in my head. It's an idea that I will consider doing at a later date. This chapter is the shortest I have written for this to date but don't let that discourage you. Once the "Birth" arc storyline finishes, the chapters will get longer. Please note that due to the time in which this is posted, I haven't had time to edit the chapter a lot.  
_

* * *

 **Chapter 09: Labor**

* * *

The final weeks of Padmé's pregnancy rolled around and before anybody knew, there was only a couple of days before her initial due date.

The senator sat on the couch in the apartment with Ahsoka while Anakin and Obi-Wan were in a Jedi Council meeting. Padmé had her head resting on Ahsoka's shoulder while the teenager did a final check of some homework Master Yoda had assigned her.

"Okay and I am done." Ahsoka said dramatically throwing her homework on the floor in victory.

Padmé laughed but cringed when she felt the baby issue a hard kick.

"You okay?" Ahsoka asked, concerned for her friend's immediate discomfort.

"Yes, I'm okay. The baby's been really active lately."

"I think he or she just wants to be born." Ahsoka grinned.

"Perhaps you're right," Padmé said as she struggled to stand up. "Only a few more days and my precious child will make their debut."

"We're all going to be so thrilled when that happens, Padmé," Ahsoka said as she rose from her seat. "Where are you off to?"

"Bail's office. Care to accompany me?"

"Of course."

* * *

" _This isn't a good idea."_ Bail said as Ahsoka guided Padmé into his office suite.

"Senator Organa," Ahsoka said once Padmé was seated. "When Padmé wants to do something, there is no stopping her. I thought you'd agree with me."

Bail struggled not to smile. "That I agree with, my dear."

"Thank your for your help Ahsoka." Padmé said, smiling up at her young friend.

"My pleasure, milady. Now if you excuse me, I must go and find where my dimwitted master has gotten to." Ahsoka grinned cheekily.

"Ahsoka," Padmé said. "Give my love to Obi-Wan when you see him."

"Can do. Oh, and I'll tell Skyguy not to panic."

"Don't tell him I'm here," Padmé said quickly. "I don't want him to worry."

"He'll worry regardless if I tell him. You're so close to giving birth, P." Ahsoka said using the new nickname she had come up with for Padmé.

Padmé beamed as she watched the teenager leave the office. She turned back to Bail.

"She's a good kid, Padmé."

"I know. Anakin's lucky to have her as a friend."

"He certainly is," Bail agreed. "He should be proud of the way she has overcome her obstacles."

"He is," Padmé nodded, her hands coming to rest on her belly. "He adores her and she adores him. He dotes on her like only a big brother could."

"How do you think things are _really_ going to go down once the baby's born?"

"I hope nothing changes, Bail. Sure, the baby will play a big part in our lives but I have a feeling something, I don't know what, is going to make life just a little bit more difficult."

Bail gave her a look that was uncertain. "Whatever happens, I'm sure you'll be able to deal with it."

* * *

It took Ahsoka less then fifteen minutes to find Anakin. She had had an inkling as to where he might have been.

The Jedi Knight was with Obi-Wan in the quarters they had once shared when Anakin had been a Padawan. They were sitting on what looked like a battered old couch.

"Master." Ahsoka said as she entered the living space.

"Hey ya Snips. What's up?" Anakin said with a smile

Ahsoka shrugged as she moved to sit beside Obi-Wan. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be pacing in your own room."

"Pacing?" Anakin said in amusement. "Why would I be pacing?"

"FYI Anakin," Ahsoka said, her voice going up a couple of octaves. "Padmé's just days away from giving birth to _your_ child and you aren't worried about it."

Anakin exchanged amused looks with Obi-Wan. "I am worried about it but it will happen when it happens. For now, just relax. You haven't relaxed in ages, Snips."

Ahsoka sighed, defeated and slumped back in her seat, her shoulders relaxing.

"Gang up on me again and I swear I will play the protective godmother card."

Anakin felt his mouth go dry. He knew Ahsoka wouldn't go back on her threat. Sure, the baby wasn't born yet but she sure as hell would protect him or her and it didn't matter if Anakin was their father.

"Don't go too overboard there, Ahsoka," Obi-Wan smirked under his ginger beard. "Anakin will probably kick you to Mustafar if you bar him from his son or daughter."

Ahsoka scowled at Anakin but her expression didn't hold. She sighed in utter defeat. "The things I do for you Master."

Anakin sat back, satisfied. "I know."

* * *

Padmé was beginning to feel a little uneasy. She had been feeling the same way for the last couple of days. She had expected to go into labor in her sleep but it never came. She had had Braxton Hicks a few days earlier and the doctors had told her not to worry and it was just her body preparing itself for labor.

Luckily, Anakin had been home when it had happened. He had had to call Ellé and Motée away from their chores to take her to the medical centre as him being there would have caused suspicion. He'd called Ahsoka over as she had been visiting Lux a few apartments over when the Braxton Hicks had started up. It had been a relief when Padmé and her handmaidens had arrived back and told them it had been a false alarm.

" _Padmé?"_

Padmé snapped out of her daze at the sound of Bail's voice. She shook her head. "Sorry Bail. What were you saying?"

Bail looked at her in concern. "Are you alright? You don't seem like yourself."

"I was just remembering back to the other day when I had false contractions."

"Yes, Ahsoka mentioned them when I saw her yesterday. She said it was a bit of a scare."

Padmé looked at him fearfully.

"Oh, my dear, whatever is the matter?"

"I don't know if I can do this, Bail."

"Do what?"

"Be a mother. It's hard enough having to hide my marriage from everyone but having a child is going to be harder."

Bail rose from his chair and went around to comfort his friend. He rubbed circles on Padmé's back to ease her tears. "You are going to be a fantastic mother, Padmé. Never doubt that."

"I do, Bail. I am already struggling to keep several steps ahead of everyone else. Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka have been doing as much as they can to keep this child a secret but there is only so much they can do. Then, when the baby is born we have to revise that plan."

"And have you?"

"We've been talking about it but we don't know what we're going to do. Anakin has been talking about confessing to the Jedi council." Padmé sniffed.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Bail reasoned.

"He might not have a choice. Ahsoka made a good point a while ago. Senators that reside on the same floor of the Apartment Complex as Anakin and I are going to start asking questions when they start hearing a baby crying."

Bail thought about this. "What about the strange times Anakin and Ahsoka leave the apartment?"

"I have considered that too. It's surprising no one has picked up on it sooner." Padmé commented.

By now, she should have felt the pressure of hiding her secrets from such a trusted friend like Bail but strangely, she didn't. He already knew of her marriage to Anakin and that the child she was carrying was Anakin's also. It was nice in a way to have someone on her side to confide in.

"I will be more then happy to help out whenever I can."

Padmé looked up at her old friend. "You don't have to, Bail. I appreciate that though."

Bail smiled kindly. "I want to. Actually, it was Breha's idea. She said that if you ever need anything, we're always here."

Padmé smiled, gratefully. "Thank you, old friend."

* * *

Ahsoka lay on the floor of Anakin and Obi-Wan's former quarters while Anakin and Obi-Wan talked in the kitchen.

"… _Do you really think that's wise?"_ Obi-Wan asked.

There was a pause before Anakin spoke. _"I don't pretend to like the idea. I have to do something, Obi-Wan. Once the baby's born, we won't be able to conceal his or her Force signature. The council be able to fit the pieces together that I'm their father."_

Ahsoka sat up and jumped to her feet and headed for the kitchen.

" _Anakin, I know you are only doing what you need in order to protect your family but what if your idea backfires?"_

"What idea?" Ahsoka asked as she entered the space to find her master and Obi-Wan sitting at the island counter opposite each other.

Anakin and Obi-Wan looked at each other. There was no point in lying to her.

"Master?" Ahsoka turned to face Anakin, a look of concern crossing her face.

Anakin sighed and gestured for his Padawan to join the conversation.

Ahsoka stepped over so she was next to Obi-Wan. "What's going on?"

Anakin sighed. "I have made my final decision as to what is to happen once the baby's born."

"Oh?"

Anakin bit his lip, unsure of now to proceed. "I have decided to confess everything to the council."

"I kinda guessed." Ahsoka said in an undertone.

"I'm not just talking about my marriage or my child's paternity. I'm talking about every crime I have committed."

Ahsoka frowned. "You mean all the threats you've dished out?"

Anakin knew Ahsoka's question had a double meaning. He looked over at Obi-Wan who was trying to work out what Ahsoka was referring to. "Yes," the father-to-be said, his turning to his young friend. "That is _exactly_ what I was referring to."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "You don't have to do this."

"I have to Obi-Wan. I can't just ignore the idea that I'm going to get expelled. I knew this was coming a long time ago. Since the moment I asked Padmé to marry me, in fact. I want to beat the council at their own game."

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka shared a look. As much as they wanted to do something about the situation themselves, they knew to stay out of it and let Anakin handle it.

"No matter what you decide, Anakin," Obi-Wan said at last. "We're here for you." He placed a hand on Anakin's cybernetic forearm while Ahsoka reached over and took her master's organic hand.

"Thank you. I appreciate your support; as does Padmé."

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka beamed and nodded.

* * *

Padmé's meeting with Bail continued. She was beginning to get the sense was something was going to happen.

"…As far as I'm concerned, the trade routes should be opened up for everyone to use." Bail said but Padmé wasn't paying much attention. "Padmé?"

Padmé's head snapped at the mention of her name. "Hmm? Sorry, Bail. What were you saying?"

"Is everything alright? You've been quiet for the last hour."

"Sorry, it's just, I sense some-" She gasped as she felt pain shoot through her, her hands going to her stomach.

"What is it?" Bail shot to his feet and quickly went to her side.

The pain receded.

"Nothing, everything's fine." Padmé shook her head.

" _Bail?"_

Lux poked his head into the office.

"Lux, my dear boy. What can I do for you?" Bail asked politely.

Lux ignored him for a second and turned to see the pained expression on Padmé's face. "Hello Padmé."

"Hello Lux," Padmé grunted, trying not to let the pain show on her face. "Good to see you."

"Good to see you too. Are you okay?"

Padmé nodded before she doubled over in pain again. The colour drained from her face.

Lux was at her side in a second. "What is it? Is it the baby?"

Padmé nodded. "The baby," She paused for a moment. "It's coming."

* * *

Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka were pulled out of their conversation by the sound of a comlink beeping.

" _Skywalker."_ Anakin replied as he activated the device.

" _Master Skywalker, it's Lux."_

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka looked at each other.

"What's up, Senator Bonteri?"

There was a pause.

"Lux? What is going on?"

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka looked at each other.

" _Padmé's gone into labour."_

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka's mouths went dry when they saw Anakin's face go pale. They watched as he sprung to his feet and bolted for the door.

Without having to think twice about it, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka jumped up and bolted after their friend.

* * *

Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka reached the Coruscant Medical Facility and bolted inside. They ran down the pristine white maze-like corridors, ignoring the blinding white light that was filtering down on them from the lights hanging from the ceiling.

Anakin could feel his heart in his throat. This was it. He was about to meet his son or daughter.

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka could feel Anakin's emotions rippling through the Force. As excited as they were, they had to keep themselves poised from getting too worked up. They kept a respectable distance from Anakin as they made their way through the halls of the medical centre.

Allowing the Force to guide them, the trio found their way to the maternity ward where they were greeted by Lux and Bail.

"Senator Organa. Senator Bonteri."

"Anakin, thank goodness."

Ahsoka stepped away from Anakin and Obi-Wan and was pulled instantly into Lux's arms. She relaxed as he kissed her forehead.

"What happened?" Obi-Wan asked.

"We were talking and Padmé felt her waters break. We rushed her over here."

"You did that?" Ahsoka said as she looked up at Lux.

"Yes. It was the right thing to do."

At the sound of Padmé's cries of pain, Anakin felt the hair rise up on his neck.

Ahsoka and Obi-Wan had the same feeling Anakin did.

The expectant father pushed past Lux and Bail and in the direction of his wife's cries with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka at his heels. Upon the delivery room, the trio was stopped by a medical droid.

"I'm sorry," said the droid in its robotic voice. "Only the father is allowed in this room."

"I _am_ the father, please let me past." Anakin said, the distress coming out in his voice.

The droid looked past Anakin at Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. "And you two? What relation are you?"

"Friends." Obi-Wan said.

"No," Ahsoka said shaking her head. "Family."

" _Let them in."_

Anakin brightened a little at the sound of his wife's voice.

The droid moved aside without another word.

Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka hurried into the room.

Padmé was lying on an examination table with a retractable dome over her stomach. She was dressed in a hospital gown and her hair was wavy having been pulled from their tight updo from earlier that day.

"Padmé," Anakin said as he hurried to his wife's side. "I'm here." He reached for her forehead and brushed her hair out of her face. Her forehead was coated in sweat.

"Ani," Padmé said clearly relieved that her husband was now at her side. Ahsoka moved around into view. "Ahsoka." Padmé moved her head slightly so that she could see Obi-Wan. "Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan smiled warmly.

Padmé cried out again while the others jumped, having not expected her to cry out suddenly.

"Senator," said the attending medical droid. "We need you to push." The droid then turned to Padmé's three companions. "Feel free to help. Encouragement is always welcome in birth."

Anakin stepped a little to Padmé's right and took her hand while Ahsoka stepped to Padmé's left. Obi-Wan stepped over so he was standing beside Ahsoka.

Padmé took her husband and young friend's hands and squeezed them just as the droid ordered that she start pushing.

Since Padmé had taken his organic hand, rather then his cybernetic one, Anakin had to grit his teeth as her nails dug into his skin.

On Padmé's left, Ahsoka could taste blood coming from where she had allowed her teeth to bite down into her lower lip. It hurt but she licked blood away and took the full impact of Padmé's perfectly manicured nails sinking into her hand.

Padmé cried out once more.

* * *

In the waiting room, Bail and Lux cringed every time that Padmé cried out. They could only imagine how Anakin was coping at seeing his wife in such pain. What had surprised the pair the most was that Obi-Wan and Ahsoka had gone into the delivery room with him. While they hadn't questioned it, they did think it was a little strange.

Lux recalled what Padmé had once told him. Since Ahsoka's near-departure from the Jedi Order and Obi-Wan's discovery, the Jedi trio hadn't spent much time apart. He remembered Padmé saying that Ahsoka had practically glued herself to Anakin and was constantly at his side.

Bail remembered all the times Ahsoka had been in Padmé's office since the senator had discovered she was pregnant. He recalled that Ahsoka would often show up unannounced whenever she sensed something was 'wrong'. He didn't see anything wrong with it, in fact, he realised now just how deep the bond between Padmé and Ahsoka now went. It was a sisterly bond. A bond of family. If Bail knew anything about Ahsoka it was that she would now be hell bent on keep the Skywalkers safe from prosecution. He could also see Obi-Wan doing the same thing. Bail knew that the bond between Anakin and Obi-Wan ran deep; going back to the Invasion of Naboo in which the late Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn had wanted Obi-Wan to train Anakin. Bail also knew from what Padmé had told him about Ahsoka's near-departure, Obi-Wan felt guilty for not having done more to help her.

Bail and Lux's attention snapped up when they caught sight of a dark hooded figure entering the space. Before either of them could move, the figure piled back their hood to reveal the all too familiar face of Duchess Satine Kryze.

Lux and Bail's jaws dropped as the thought-to-be-dead duchess stared at them.

"Hello gentlemen."

Lux and Bail's eyes bulged out of their sockets. Their mouths suddenly felt as coarse as the sand on Jakku.

"Satine?" Bail said in a half-whisper.

Satine offered Bail and Lux a smile.

"You're alive?" Lux questioned. "How is that possible?"

"It is a long story. I came to support Padmé and her child. And to see Obi-Wan again."

Lux and Bail looked at each other, an understanding passing between them.

"How did you know?" Lux asked.

"Ahsoka sent me a message."

"Isn't it dangerous for you to be seen out in the open like this? There are security cameras everywhere."

"Yes, but the threat of assassination is low," Satine said wisely. "There have been no reports in recent months of Maul's activities."

Bail wanted to protest that Satine being out in the open was a risky move but he decided not to speak his mind. Apparently, Satine seemed to be thinking the same thing but she too did not say anything.

"How is she?" Satine said, changing the subject from herself to Padmé.

"We aren't sure." Lux said as he seated himself. "She has screamed a few times. We have assumed that her labor is progressing."

"She will be a fine mother." Satine said with a nod as she seated herself between Lux and Bail.

"And Master Skywalker will be a fine father to that child." Lux added thoughtfully. Bail and Satine looked at him.

"What?"

"You are always referring to Anakin as 'Master Skywalker'. Can we ask why?" Bail asked.

Lux swallowed. "I know how close Anakin," the name sounded odd coming out of his mouth. "And Ahsoka are and I know he will do anything to protect her. Including keeping from me. I must respect him. I love Ahsoka. There is no hiding that but if Anakin had his way, I wouldn't be in Ahsoka's life at all."

Satine offered the senator a smile. "I know how you feel Lux. Being away from my beloved Obi-Wan has been hard but it was necessary to protect us both."

The duchess' comment didn't make Lux feel any better but it he knew it would have to do.

* * *

 _There you have it, part one. I almost didn't include Satine or Lux in this chapter. I know this chapter is rushed by I really wanted it get it up so I could focus on the next chapter which should be up in a couple of days. There is a Force Awakens reference in this chapter that I forgot to mention before. There is also a mention of Obi-Wan being at Anakin's side a lot since Ahsoka's near-departure. In a way, this is true seeing as they were together during the Outer Rim Sieges. There is also stuff that happened when Ahsoka and Padmé aren't around which won't be delved upon, at least not a lot in this story. There will be bits and pieces though. Anyway, it's just gone midnight here in Australia and I need some sleep seeing as I've got Salvation Army volunteering at 9am. See you all next chapter._

 _To be continued..._


	11. Ch 10: Luke and Leia

**A/N:** _Hi all. Thank you all for the kind messages about my nan's passing. It really means a lot to me. As a reward, here's the birth chapter you have all been waiting for. This chapter is the shortest I have written for this story thus far. I found it hard to write this chapter for a couple of reasons, one being that I have never given birth so I don't know what's like to give birth and secondly, things didn't turn out quite the way I planned. I wanted this chapter to be longer but I just couldn't think of anything else to add. So, this is the second part of three. The next chapter is the final chapter in the 'tense' storyline. Anakin's reaction to Lux and Ahsoka's affectionate relationship is seen in this chapter and the 'reveal' of Satine and Obi-Wan's relationship is revealed to Bail in this chapter._

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Luke and Leia**

* * *

Padmé's screams echoed through Anakin, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan like gunfire from a battleground.

"Come on, Padmé," urged Ahsoka. "Just one more push!"

Padmé let out one more feral scream before the cries of an infant entered the world. The senator relaxed as Ahsoka jumped to her feet and went to collect the infant from the med droid.

"What is it?" Anakin asked almost nervously.

"It's a boy," Ahsoka said as she wrapped the infant in a blue blanket. "It's a boy." She turned around to reveal the smile of her face.

Anakin issued an excited smile. He leaned down to kiss Padmé's forehead. "We have a boy." He whispered excited.

Padmé laughed and cried happy tears before another bolt of pain entered her body.

Obi-Wan hurried around and took Ahsoka's place. Taking up Padmé's hand, he braced himself as her nails dug into his hand.

Padmé was exhausted from the birth of her son. "I can't do it." She cried as tears filled her eyes. "I can't." she shook her head.

Anakin didn't have the words to comfort his exhausted wife.

"We seem to be picking up another lifeform." Said the doctor.

"What does that mean?" Anakin asked.

"She's carrying twins." Explained the doctor.

Anakin looked over at Obi-Wan and Ahsoka who were just as surprised at the prospect of twins as he was.

Ahsoka stepped over. She had placed her godson back into the arms of the med droid who was cleaning the infant up. "Don't you dare give up," she said, her tone dropping into commander mode. "That little one wants to join their brother. If you won't do it for yourself, at least do it for your son's twin."

Padmé could see the determination on Ahsoka's face and suddenly, she felt determined too. She took a deep breath and issued one last big push. She relaxed when she heard the cries of a second child.

Obi-Wan rose and a second medical handed him the second infant. "It's a girl."

Anakin had gone into shock. He had a son _and_ a daughter. What could have been better? His hands covered his mouth to cover the gasp that threatened to overtake him.

Ahsoka took her godson from the first medical droid again and walked over to Padmé and crouched down beside her. "Meet your little man."

"Hi little one." Padmé cooed as she reached over and allowed her son's tiny hand to curl around her finger.

Obi-Wan handed the boy's twin to Anakin. "Meet your daughter."

Anakin didn't falter as Obi-Wan placed his seconds old daughter into his arms. He thought that when he was given his child for the first time that he wouldn't know how to hold the child but apparently his paternal instincts had kicked in.

 _Paternal Instincts._

It was funny. Anakin never would have imagined that he had such instincts. He had protective instincts but nothing as strong as the bond that had just formed between him and his twin children. He looked over to see Padmé bonding with their son.

Ahsoka's head shot up when she caught Anakin's eyes on her. She grinned before hearing a little groan coming from her godson. She peered down to see him waving his little arms in the air as if trying to get her attention. "Do you want to meet your daddy, little guy?" The infant cooed. Ahsoka smiled as if the boy was trying to tell her yes.

Upon seeing Ahsoka's approach with his son, Anakin handed his daughter back to Obi-Wan who stepped around Ahsoka and went back to Padmé who was more then happy to meet her daughter.

"Meet Skyguy 2.0." Ahsoka said as she gently placed the boy in his father's arms.

Normally Anakin would have given Ahsoka a feral look but he found his couldn't. This was a precious moment that he would remember forever. He had his two best friends at his side as he embraced a new chapter in the life he had created with Padmé. He now had a beautiful son and daughter that would become the next generation of Jedi if they saw fit. As much Anakin didn't want them to become Jedi, it would be their choice.

* * *

After a few minutes, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka left the delivery room after being told by Anakin and Padmé to tell their companions.

Lux, sat slumped in a chair in the waiting area with Bail and Satine sitting on opposite sides of him.

The trio looked up when they heard foosteps approaching.

Lux and Bail rose from their seats when Obi-Wan and Ahsoka appeared.

"How are they?" Satine said.

If Obi-Wan and Ahsoka were surprised to see Satine they didn't show it. They beamed as they massaged their hands together.

"They're fine." Obi-Wan smiled. "Both Padmé and the babies are doing well."

This caught the trio off guard.

"Babies?" Bail echoed.

"She had twins." Ahsoka said, almost gidding with excitement.

Satine and Bail looked at each other in surprise.

"Can we see her?" Lux asked almost reluctantly.

"Yeah," Ahsoka took a few steps forward and took his hand. "Come on." She pulled him back the way she and Obi-Wan had come.

As the pair disappeared down the corridor, Obi-Wan turned to Satine and Bail. "Well, that was unexpected."

"Not as unexpected as you and Satine here, Master Kenobi." Bail raised his eyebrows knowingly.

"How did you know, Senator Organa?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Your past interactions," Bail said. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you, Bail." Satine nodded as she stepped to Obi-Wan's side and took his hand.

Bail nodded. "Come. Obi-Wan, lead us to Padmé."

* * *

Obi-Wan led Satine by the hand down the corridor he and Ahsoka had travelled down a few minutes earlier. Bail wasn't far behind. They stopped at the door to Padmé's room and were surprised to find that Ahsoka and Lux hadn't gone in yet.

"Why haven't you gone in yet?" Obi-Wan asked the Padawan.

"We didn't want to take all the glory for ourselves," Lux said. "So we thought it would be best if we all entered as a group."

"Good thinking." Bail smiled before he reached for the door.

Unlike the rest of the medical faculity; which had automatic doors, the maternity ward had plain wooden doors with handles. Apparently, automatic doors frightened babies; so plain doors were used only in this section of the hospital. There were blast doors in case there was a siege or a break in to ensure patient safety.

Bail pushed down on the door handle and slowly pushed it open.

Ahsoka took a step forward and poked her head around Bail.

The Skywalkers looked up when they saw their friends poke their heads into the room.

"Hey." Anakin greeted when he spied Ahsoka poke her head into the room. His eyebrows shot up his forehead when Satine, Bail and Lux entered the room with Obi-Wan coming up the rear.

"Before you say anything," Ahsoka said catching the look on her master's face. "Obi-Wan and I asked them to come with us."

"You wanted them here Ani," Padmé murmured as their son cooed, wanting his mother's full attention. "Be nice."

"Have you given them names yet?" Satine asked, breaking the silent tension.

Anakin didn't appear surprised that Satine had been the one to break the tension. He understood now why Obi-Wan had been so calm in the delivery room. It had been because he had sensed Satine had been nearby.

"We have." Padmé said with a tired smile.

"Everybody, we'd like to introduce you to Luke Ben Skywalker and Leia Ahsoka Skywalker."

Ahsoka let out what could have been described as a noise crossed between a squeak and a sob.

Boldly, Lux wrapped an arm around her shoulders; ignoring the look Anakin was throwing him.

Ahsoka rested her head on Lux's shoulder, allowing happy tears to flow down her face. "Thank you Anakin."

Anakin smiled and nodded.

"Obi-Wan," Padmé said causing the Jedi Master to look over at her. "Since Ahsoka is Luke and Leia's godmother, would you do us the honor of being their godfather?"

Obi-Wan's eyes widened before a warm smile crossed his face. "I'd be honored. After all, you did name your son after me."

"We wouldn't have it any other way, Obi-Wan," Anakin smiled. He felt Leia's little fingers wrap around his larger organic one. He looked down at her as if trying to work out what she was trying to tell him. "Obi-Wan, would you like to hold Leia again?"

Obi-Wan continued to smile and walked over to Anakin who then slid his infant daughter into his arms.

Anakin was going to be the first one to say that his former master had suddenly gone soft. He could see that Obi-Wan already loved Leia and Luke as if they were his own. He knew that no harm would come to the twins whenever Obi-Wan and Ahsoka were around.

Seeing Obi-Wan interact with Leia made the new father wonder what life was going to be like when his little girl got older. Would Luke and Obi-Wan be chasing away any boy that laid eyes on her? Would Ahsoka and Padmé being giving her advice on boys? Anakin could only shake his head. All these thoughts of boys pursuing Leia was doing his head in. He still had a few years yet until that happened.

Ahsoka had pulled Lux over to Padmé's side so that she could see her tiny nephew and godson up close. "Lux, meet Luke."

Lux looked down at the pink baby boy in Ahsoka's arms. He had to admit, the child was adorable. He could see both Anakin and Padmé in the child. The boy had a tuft of blonde hair, obviously inherited from his father. The boy even had Anakin's eyes. He had Padmé's face though.

"Lukey, meet your Uncle Lux." Ahsoka cooed to her nephew.

Lux looked at her in surprise. "'Uncle Lux'? You really want me involved in your godchildren's lives?"

"Of course. You're a part of my life, as are Luke and Leia. If I'm their aunt then you get to be their uncle. I hope that's okay with you."

"Of course it is. I know my mother would approve."

Ahsoka beamed and leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, prompting him to go a bright red.

Anakin, who had been watching the entire exchange, smirked. "Lux," Lux looked over at him. "Take care of my Snips."

Lux swallowed and nodded. Had the great Anakin Skywalker just approved of his relationship with his Padawan? He smiled and nodded.

"On my honor, Anakin."

Satine and Bail had broken off and had gathered around the twins. Bail had gone over to join Anakin and Obi-Wan who were still cooing over Leia while Satine had gone over to join Ahsoka and Lux with Luke.

Padmé smiled tiredly as her friends and husband cooed over her precious babies. She couldn't believe she hadn't sensed this sooner. Twins. She thought back to the conversation she and Anakin had had a long while ago. She remembered him asking whether they'd be able to cope if they ended up having twins or triplets. How the unlikely reality had come true she wished she knew. They had twins. Twins!

From the moment Luke had been born, Padmé had instantly loved him. Then, the moment the doctor had said she was carrying twins, she knew she would love her second child just as much as her first. She had the son she had been dreaming of while Anakin now had the daughter he had wished for. Exhaustion weighed down on her and she felt the urge to sleep.

" _Get some rest. You've earned it."_ Said a voice.

The new mother turned her head to see her husband watching her. She allowed him to lean over and kiss her forehead. She nodded and closed her eyes, eagerly awaiting what was going to come next in her new life.

* * *

 _So, there you have it. Part 2. Next chapter is the one I have been looking forward to writing for a very long time. Anakin's secrets are revealed to the Jedi council! The next chapter should be up soon. It might up as early as tomorrow. Not sure yet or it could be a few days from now. We'll see how things go._

 _To be Continued..._


	12. Ch 11: Confession

**A/N:** _Hi all. I am so sorry for the slight wait. I haven't had much time to write this past week as I've had to contend with my nan's funeral and stuff. So this is the chapter everyone has been waiting for: Anakin's confession to the Jedi Council. I feel this chapter isn't what I planned and its not as good I thought it was going to be. This is the final part of the tension arc. The next arc coming up is the first eleven years of Luke and Leia's lives starting at chapter 13._

 _I would now like to address some of the reviews that I have gotten. I love getting reviews, I really do. I do have to apologise if some of the previous chapters have been a bit strung out. The first thing I would like to address the amount of Ahsoka in this story. A few people have said that Ahsoka is in the story TOO much. Ah, that's the whole point. I know I have included her in a lot of things involving Anakin and Padmé and that includes her being in the delivery room when Luke and Leia were born but I planned it like that. I know it might seem like Ahsoka is following Anakin and Padmé around like a lost puppy but I intended for it to be like that. She will be doing stuff on her own in coming chapters. Next chapter will see her play the part of godmother and personal babysitter to the twins while Anakin and Padmé deal with the Queen of Naboo._

 _Also, I keep getting told to involve something to the whole Clone Protocol 66 thing. Stop telling me how to write my own story! I have included something in this chapter. The issue will be addressed later. The sole focus of the story is the whole 'Skywalker family get a happy ending' scenario not the inner working of events what went on during the Clone Wars. I love you all, I know you all know that but I know what I am doing. Like I said in previous chapters, this story is going to be 122 chapters so there is plenty of time to scope things out._

 _I'm not trying to be mean. I have had this story planned out for over six months and I know exactly where it is heading. Please take everything I have written here into account. Anyway, enough ranting. Here's chapter 11: Confession._

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Confession**

* * *

A few hours past and the twins were quick to fall asleep. Padmé remained asleep. The twins were placed in separated cots but placed next to each other so they were together.

Anakin had remained at his wife's side the entire time and looked about ready to fall asleep. Bail, Lux and Satine had left after a couple of hours to get some rest themselves while Ahsoka and Obi-wan had stayed behind.

"Anakin." Ahsoka gently nudged Anakin's arm.

Opening his eyes, Anakin looked up to see Ahsoka standing beside a cup of caf in her hands. She handed it to him. "Thanks, Ahsoka."

"You really wanna do this?" the teenager asked Obi-Wan stepped over to join them.

Anakin looked over at his sleeping family and sighed. "I don't have a choice, Ahsoka. If I were to do this when Padmé is awake, she'd talk me out of it. I _have_ to do this. For her and for the twins."

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka looked at each other, uncertainly.

"We're with you Anakin," Obi-Wan said at last. "Every step of the way."

Anakin looked over at his best friend thankfully. He nodded and rose to his feet. "Let's do this."

* * *

Before heading to the council chamber to confront the Jedi Council, the trio made a quick stop to their quarters.

In Ahsoka's chambers she grabbed the first black robe that was sitting on the floor among the mess that she still hadn't had a chance to clean up. Pulling it on, she took a deep breath and rested her hands on her lighsabres that were still hanging from her belt. She remembered the kyber crystal she had given to Anakin for safekeeping. Now that the baby, or rather babies, had been born it was only a matter of time as to whom Anakin gave the crystal to when the time came for Luke and Leia to build their lightsabres. That was if they wanted to become Jedi.

Over in Anakin's quarters, he looked around at his makeshift quarters and thought about all the memories he had made in this room. This had been the one place within the entirety of the Temple that he truly felt at home. He had had a lot of conversations with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka here and that included a lot of arguments. He even remembered how he had helped Ahsoka after she had fainted outside his door.

Obi-Wan had been in this room for as long as he could remember. He remembered the first time he had bought Anakin here after Qui-Gon's funeral. Despite the age gap, the pair had found that they had both loved Qui-Gon in the same way: they had seen him as the father they had never had. After this, they had moved into a joint apartment like accommodations like many of the master-padawan pairings within the Jedi Order.

The trio then met up outside the council chambers. For a moment, none of them said anything. Then without warning, Ahsoka took both their hands.

"We're going to get through this," she said confidently. "We're a team. Think of all the positive things that have happened in the time since Palpatine's death."

While this was meant to be reassuring, it wasn't. Any amount of things could go wrong and the trio knew it.

Anakin and Obi-Wan found themselves squeezing Ahsoka's hands.

Ahsoka could feel Anakin's cybernetic hand squeeze hers. It was an odd feeling but it was comforting. "Let's go."

* * *

The Jedi Council wasn't known for their late night meetings. Since Palpatine's downfall, the council had found that having meetings at night was more convenient as it allowed many of the masters to spend time training their Padawans or teaching lessons. It had been a surprise to many of them when Anakin and Obi-Wan had announced they had an agenda that needed to be addressed. What surprised them most was that young Ahsoka would be joining them.

The infamous trio walked into the room with their heads held high. A few of their supporters, namely Masters Plo and Fisto, had to hold back chuckles.

"Good of you to join us," Master Windu said flatly. Please take your seats." He gestured to the two empty seats.

Anakin and Obi-Wan started to walk towards their seats but stopped when they realised that Ahsoka hadn't moved from where she was standing.

Anakin gave his stubborn Padawan a hard, yet silent lecturing look but she continued to remain standing tall.

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes at Anakin. "This has gone on long enough, master," she said, her tone hard and gravelly. 'They need to be told."

"Tell us what do you?" Yoda asked curiously.

It had never been a secret that he'd always had soft spot for Ahsoka. He considered her one of his top students. Since her near-departure, the unusual pair had come to civil terms and found that a truce had been established with Ahsoka's weekly lessons in teaching some of Yoda's youngling classes.

Fixing her master with a hard glare, Ahsoka could have grinned at the inward cringe that crossed Anakin's otherwise composed face. With a sigh, he turned on his heel and took the short walk to the centre of the room with Obi-Wan at his heels. Ahsoka followed suit.

"Masters, I have a confession to make," Anakin said as soon as Ahsoka had taken her place on his left. Obi-Wan had taken his right. "For the last three years I have been unfaithful to the Jedi code."

Several masters looked at each other. They already knew Anakin was prone to breaking rules but now bad could his confession be?

"What do you wish to share with us, Skywalker?" Windu said. There was something in his voice that made Anakin want to run for the hills.

Sucking in a sharp breath and remembering that Ahsoka and Obi-Wan were standing beside him, Anakin knew what had to be done. "After the First Battle of Geonosis, I secretly married Senator Padmé Amidala on Naboo."

The silence that followed was almost too much to bear. Most of the masters in the room shared looks of shock but they weren't the normal looks of shock that people normally carried. The look was one that was suppressed. The entire council chamber seemed stunned into silence. Unsurprisingly, it was Windu who broke the silence.

"This is a very serious allegation, Skywalker. Is there more to this?"

"Yes, Master Windu," Ahsoka interrupted as she stepped to Anakin's side. "There is."

"Young one, please be silent." Windu said.

"No, I won't master." Ahsoka said defiantly. She was about to say something else when Anakin laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright Ahsoka, I have this covered."

Ahsoka looked about ready to reliatate but found that it was wise not to. She could tell by the look on Anakin's face that he had had this planned out for a while. She bit her lip, and stepped back into place.

"A few months ago, I learned of something that would change my life and that of my wife's," he paused, the words suddenly sounding foreign coming out of his mouth. "After I returned to Coruscant and discovered that Padmé was several months pregnant with our first child. _My_ first child."

There was another bout of silence. It all honesty, it was almost enough to be suffocating or at least to Anakin it did.

Yoda and Windu looked at each other, suddenly conflicted. Kit Fisto and Plo Koon bowed their heads as if piecing every little bit of information together. The two grand masters looked to Ahsoka and Obi-Wan.

"Knew of this, did you, Master Obi-Wan, hmm?" Yoda asked of Obi-Wan.

"Yes, I did, Master. At first, I was not happy with my discovery but in time I came to realise that no Jedi is perfect. I am not perfect myself, I must confess. I myself am involved with Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore."

" _The Duchess of Mandalore?"_ questioned Ki-Adi-Mundi. "Impossible. The Duchess was killed at the hands of Darth Maul."

Mundi seemed to get the message by the look on Obi-Wan's face.

" _And you, young one?"_

Ahsoka jumped when she realised that Windu had addressed her.

"Did you know about this?"

Ahsoka swallowed her pride. "Yes, I did, Master Windu," she said sincerely. "In all honestly, I like this side of Anakin. He's… unique. No, scrap that. He's _always_ been unique in all the time I have known him; I have never seen him more committed to anything. For the longest time, I wasn't able to work out why he was so reckless whenever Senator Amidala was around but after my," she swallowed. "Near departure, I discovered why. Anakin saved me, as did Senator Amidala. I am forever grateful for everything they have done for me. In return, I have not judged them for being secretly married or that the fact that they pro-created."

Anakin frowned. Wrong choice of words but he admired that about Ahsoka. Whatever came out of her mouth was inspiring.

"What involvement have you in this, young Ahsoka, hmm?" Yoda asked.

Ahsoka didn't have to ask as to what he meant. "I have played secret keeper and I have to say, Master that the role is as fulfilling as it is rewarding."

"No," chuckled Master Plo. Ahsoka turned to face him. "What Master Yoda means is, what role have played in the lives of the Skywalker offspring?"

"Oh, my bad. Padmé and Anakin asked me to be their godmother."

"And you, Obi-Wan?" Windu asked.

"Their godfather." Obi-Wan couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"Can I add more thing, masters?" Ahsoka asked.

Yoda nodded.

"I know the Jedi have stood with the same rules for a thousand years but don't you all think it is time for a change? No Jedi is alike. Not every Jedi can live by the same rules and then pass on those same rules to the next generation. Not all Jedi can remain celibate." Ahsoka crossed her arms, eager to get her point across. She waited for the murmuring to stop before she launched into her speech again. "I know Jedi respect every species in the galaxy and their ways of life. So say, for example if one species had more males then females and they needed to bear more offspring to keep the species going, every male of the species would have to do their part, wouldn't they? Included those that were say, Jedi?"

The tension in the room had become stale and awkward. Some of the alien Jedi Masters exchanged looks of what seemed to be of discomfort.

"My _point_ is why should Anakin be punished for something that other Jedi have done in the past? Why should the rule of marriage and pro-creation be restricted to only alien species of Jedi? It's time for a change in the rules."

This was an argument that had been disputed dozens of times before. While a lot of the masters in the room would have rolled their eyes, they didn't as it was disrespectful and it was not commonplace for a Jedi to do such a thing.

"You have said your part, Padawan Tano." Windu said dismissively.

Ahsoka's eyes grew wide with anguish.

Anakin rested a hand on his Padawan's shoulder again.

"I'm the Skywalkers' secret keeper," Ahsoka wanted to add something rude to her statement but held it back. "I have been protecting them from what you, the Jedi council and the Queen of Naboo are known to do; kick them to the curb. If you wanna expel me, feel free."

Many of the councilmembers were silent as they held back how outspoken Ahsoka's statement was.

"Alas," said Plo Koon. "Ahsoka is right. We have been living in a much older age."

Ahsoka and Anakin looked at each other in surprise but part of Ahsoka told her that Plo would have sided with them anyway.

"Just for the record," said Ahsoka. "I'm involved with Senator Lux Bonteri."

Anakin had to hold back a laugh at Ahsoka's tone.

This got a few eyebrows to rise from the council.

"So what is going to happen to me now?" Anakin asked. His tone indicated that he was almost too afraid to ask.

"I think we shall… ponder on this a little further," Kit chuckled. When he caught the look of disbelief on Ahsoka's face, he smiled. "Kidding. After everything that has happened in recent months concerning Palpatine and what he planned on doing to the Republic, I think we should all reflect on the past and see what can be done to create a better future."

Ahsoka wanted to do a happy dance but reframed from doing so.

Many of the masters in the room seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Anakin felt some of the weight lift from his shoulders but something still bothered him. "There is something else."

"What is it?" Fisto asked curiously.

"A few months ago, before the Outer Rim Sieges, I was given information from a now long dead clone trooper."

"What information do you have?" Obi-Wan murmured.

Anakin felt his stomach drop slightly. "The information that I was given was a little… strange. I was told that when the clones were manufactured on Kamino, protocol biochips were lodged deep within their brains." He paused before a memory resurfaced. "I am sure a number of you will remember the incident involving Masters Tiplar and Tiplee where Tiplar was killed by Clone Trooper Tup? Well, ARC trooper Fives discovered that there was an activation protocol called Clone Protocol 66."

Ahsoka's eyes flew wide. She had heard about this but she hadn't of believed it. Normally, clones didn't kill their own or their generals.

"Wasn't Fives 'silenced'?" Ahsoka asked.

Anakin nodded. "He was also framed for attempting to assassinate Palpatine or so the story goes."

The conversation had gone way off topic from Anakin's private life to the sudden news that the clone troopers had been used as ticking timebombs.

"Who would use clones to wipe out Jedi?" someone asked.

A look of disbelief crossed Ahsoka's face. She face palmed herself. "Who do you think?" The master that had spoken looked up dumbfounded. "Palpatine! We know he wanted to wipe the Jedi out and rebrand the Republic as an Empire. It would make sense."

Windu waved a hand and Ahsoka went silent. "Enough of this. Unless we have proof that Palpatine was behind this, we have to keep this to ourselves for now."

Ahsoka gaped in disbelief that the issue was just going to be dismissed. She decided not to say anything. She had to stay focused. Anakin was her main concern. "So what now? Are you going to expel Anakin for following his heart and make Obi-Wan and I stand by and watch?"

Anakin would have reprimanded Ahsoka for her harsh tone but he didn't. He understood her frustrations only too well. He cursed himself for getting off topic in the first place.

"We have decided not to expel any of you," Windu said. Obi-Wan, Ahsoka and Anakin all looked at each other in relief. "But, you have to prove to us that you will not let your personal lives affect your roles as Jedi."

"I think we can accomplish that." Anakin said as he exchanged looks with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. He was nearly thankful but he felt that the council had let them off too easily.

"Very well," Windu said. "You are dismissed." He waved his hand as if they were insects needing to be brushed away.

* * *

Upon exiting the council chamber and the door closing behind them, Ahsoka turned to Anakin and Obi-Wan.

"That did not go the way I was expecting it to go."

"I think we're in the same mindset, Snips." Anakin muttered.

"I have been a member of the council for at least a year or so now and I have never seen them give a verdict that subtle. They have to be tough but they just let us go." Obi-Wan was mystified.

"That's strange," Anakin agreed. "Now what?"

"I say we keep an eye on them. This whole situation of yours Anakin was supposed to blow the council over but it didn't. I think something's going on that we don't know about."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "Typical council, master."

"I think I'm going to investigate this matter more closely." Obi-Wan turned and started to head towards the library.

"Where're you going?" Anakin called.

"To research. Go back to the medical centre and be with Padmé and the twins. I will come by later." With that, Obi-Wan turned on his heel and headed down the corridor.

* * *

Ahsoka had claimed the armchair at Padmé's bedside while Anakin had made a run to the cafeteria for caf. They hadn't slept since the twins had been born and they were exhausted but caf could fix that for a short time, at least.

The door opened and Anakin slipped in, carrying two cups of caf. He walked over and handed Ahsoka her's.

"Thanks," she whispered. "What took you so long?"

Anakin went to open his mouth but nothing came out but Ahsoka knew where he'd gone.

"You went and saw the twins in the nursey, didn't you?"

Anakin gave her a sheepish look. "How'd you guess?"

Ahsoka smirked at him over the top of her cup as she took a sip.

" _Hmm… caf."_

Ahsoka and Anakin turned to see that Padmé had stirred from her slumber.

"Hey," Anakin said quietly as he approached his wife's bedside. "How you feeling?"

Padmé screwed up her face. "I've been better." She turned her head to see that the twins weren't in the room. Her eyes immediately grew frantic as she threw herself into a sitting position that she immediately regretted. "Where are the twins?"

"Don't panic," Ahsoka told her gently. "They're safe. They're in the nursery. Anakin went and saw them when he went to get caf."

Padmé relaxed and laid back down. "How were they?" she asked her husband.

"Fine. They were asleep when I left them."

Padmé pursed her lips and nodded. "Sorry. I think my motherly instincts are kicking in."

"That's perfectly normal." Anakin told her as he used his cybernetic arm to smooth her hair back from her forehead. "You're their mother."

Padmé knew she had every right to worry about Luke and Leia but she also knew it was going to take a while to get use to it. The twins had spent nine months inside her and now that they were born, they were going to require a lot more care. "Where's my caf?" she eyed the cup of caf in Ahsoka's hand.

Ahsoka looked down and downed the rest of the now cold beverage. "I'll go get you some." She grinned and left the room, taking Anakin's also empty cup with her.

* * *

 _There you have it. I am sorry this is really short. I think next chapter is going to be one of the longest I have ever written for this story so far. So like I mentioned above, next chapter sees Anakin and Padmé head to Naboo to face Queen Apailana and Padmé's family while they leave Ahsoka and Lux to babysit Luke and Leia while Obi-Wan investigates why the Jedi Council were so soft on him, Anakin and Ahsoka. The chapter could involve Ventress so stay tuned and its a big maybe. Not sure yet._

 _To be Continued..._


	13. Ch 12: The Pleasures of Babysitting

**A/N:** _Hey guys! I know its been a while since I posted a chapter of this but I finally got a chance to finish this chapter. So this is the final chapter before the eleven part Luke and Leia arc. This is basically a prelude to some the situations that Anakin, Padmé and co will come up against while raising Luke and Leia. I had a little bit of a change of heart with some of the content in this chapter but it's pretty much all the same as I planned. I loved writing this chapter but it was also a challenge considering there is little information on Padmé's family since all the information that there was on them is now 'legends' material. You'll notice that Sola's husband, Darred from 'legends' is mentioned by Padmé later in the chapter. It didn't feel right to create a whole new character just for the sake of it so I kept Sola's husband as Darred. Also, I mentioned to a reviewer in a PM that I was going to include Ventress in the chapter. I changed my mind. She was going to be mentioned at one point before I found that having her even mentioned in this chapter was just pointless as she wasn't going to be in the chapter as it went off in a different direction then I originally intended. She will appear again in the story as I have a great love for her as a character but I'm not sure went. Also, I think I might have repeated myself with Padmé and her paranoia when she and Anakin at her family's house. I hope I haven't. Please tell me if I have. Also, I believe this is the longest chapter in this story by far. I'm really happy about that.  
_

* * *

 **Chapter 12: The Pleasures of Babysitting**

* * *

Three weeks after Luke and Leia were born, Anakin and Padmé fell into their new roles as parents quite quickly. To their ultimate surprise, the twins were good sleepers. They awoke only a couple of times each night to be fed or changed. They almost never cried and none of the neighboring senators seemed to complain about the noise. If anything, people were always commenting on how adorable the twins were.

When the news had broken that Padmé had been pregnant with Anakin's children and she was married to him, there wasn't as much of an uproar as she had been expecting. Many of the Jedi who had worked with Anakin and Padmé in the past had had hunches.

Many of Padmé's senatorial colleagues had been surprised but those closest to her hadn't been all that surprised. Padmé had a sneaking suspicion that they had been betting on when she and Anakin had been planning on going public with their marriage.

When Anakin had told Padmé what he, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan had gone public with their relationships, she had respected their decisions. However, the senator had told her husband that he should have spoken to her about it first. Anakin had nodded and had apologised.

Obi-Wan had even told Padmé about the Jedi council simply shrugging off the confessions as if they were nothing. She had been concerned that the council had somehow become corrupt wanted to in investigate the matter.

" _Are you sure you're okay to babysit Luke and Leia for a couple of days?"_ Anakin asked Ahsoka for what must have been the millionth time. They were walking down from Luke and Leia's room in the apartment.

"How many times do I have to say it?" Ahsoka fumed. "OF COURSE, I'm okay with it. If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here right now."

Anakin couldn't argue with that logic.

Since the twins' births, Ahsoka had practically played security guard. She hadn't left the apartment once in three weeks. As much as Padmé and Anakin loved having her around, it was getting old. She had practically latched herself onto them and wouldn't let go. They of course, were too polite to say anything.

"As long as you're sure," Padmé nodded. "We don't want a call from Bail saying that you've gotten into trouble."

"She will be fine, Padmé," Satine reassured. "I will keep an eye on them." She placed a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder.

"Yeah and Lux will be around to help out." Ahsoka put in.

Anakin didn't like that idea. He was okay with them being together but he didn't like the idea of the couple being together while babysitting his children. Who knew what they would get up to why he and Padmé were on Naboo?

" _I_ will make sure there is no funny business," Obi-Wan said. He turned his head to see Ahsoka glaring at him. "You have my word Anakin."

"I hope I do, Obi-Wan." Anakin glared at his best friend.

"Are you ready, Master Anakin? Mistress Padmé?" Motée asked kindly.

"Yes, Motée. Thank you for coming with us," Anakin smiled. "It means a lot to us."

"I will do anything for my mistress and her family." Motée nodded politely.

Anakin took a deep breath and exhaled. "Here we go." He turned and headed to the door of the apartment with Padmé following not too far behind. They had already said their goodbyes to Luke and Leia. While it pained them to be away from them, they knew facing the Queen of Naboo and Padmé's family was the right thing to do.

As much facing his in-laws terrified him, Anakin had somehow been about to keep a straight face. He had faced worse things on the battlefield during the Clone Wars. Facing his wife's family was pretty low on his fearsome list once he really thought about it.

"Have fun." Ahsoka called.

"We'll try to." Padmé called back.

A moment later, the door closed leaving a small bout of silence between Obi-Wan, Satine and Ahsoka.

"Now what do we…?" Ahsoka started to ask before a cry stopped her mid-sentence. "Leia. I'll be back." She started towards the stairs that lead up to the twins' bedroom when a second cry sounded.

"Luke. I'll get him." Obi-Wan pecked Satine on the cheek as he past her and followed after Ahsoka.

Just as Obi-Wan and Ahsoka had headed up to check on the twins, the door to the apartment opened again and a voice called out. "Ahsoka?"

"Lux."

"Satine. Where's Ahsoka?" Lux said as he appeared around the corner.

"She's gone up to check on the twins. Are you here to help, my dear?"

"Yeah, didn't Ahsoka mention it?"

"She did," Satine nodded. "She'll be back in a moment."

After a moment, Ahsoka returned carrying Leia while Obi-Wan trailed behind her carrying Luke.

"They both wanted attention," Obi-Wan said as he and Ahsoka reached the bottom landing. "They are just like their father."

"In a good sense," Ahsoka said as she walked over to Lux and kissed him on the cheek. "At least he wasn't blowing mission protocols at this age."

"I wouldn't know what he was like at three weeks old. Only his mother would know." Obi-Wan replied with a sad sigh. Every mention of Shmi, no matter how great or how small was still sad to talk about.

"How have they been?" Lux asked as he kissed Leia's little forehead.

Ahsoka snorted. "You saw them yesterday."

"I know but they're just as much my nephew and niece as they are yours."

Ahsoka smiled charmingly and wanted to so badly to kiss him but withheld because she knew Obi-Wan would likely report her and Lux's exchange to Anakin and then there would be _real_ trouble. "Yeah, true," she said. "But who did Anakin and Padmé name as _one_ of their godparents?"

Lux gave her a hard look.

"Okay you two," Obi-Wan said as he gently bounced Luke at his shoulder. "Remember your task Ahsoka. You're supposed to be babysitting the twins. Not flirting with your boyfriend."

"I could say the same thing about you and Duchess Satine, Master Obi-Wan." Ahsoka said as Leia grabbed her finger.

"Ahsoka," Satine raised her eyebrows at their young friend. "Behave, my dear."

Lux had to hold back a snort while Obi-Wan had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

"Sorry, Satine." Ahsoka bowed her head.

Satine nodded and reached over to pat Ahsoka on the arm.

Luke and Leia cooed causing the tension in the air to disappear completely. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka looked down at them, knowing that the two tiny infants were trying to lessen the angst in the air between them.

"They have you both wrap around their little fingers." Lux said as he peered down at Leia over Ahsoka's shoulder.

"They're worth it." Satine smiled down at Luke as Obi-Wan lowered the infant boy into his arms.

* * *

On board Padmé's Naboo cruiser, Padmé sighed as Anakin piloted the ship through space. She ran a hand over her face.

Anakin noticed his wife's angst from the pilot's seat. "Hey," he reached across and took her hand. "What's wrong?"

The new mother sighed. "It's just, I never wanted any of this to happen. Or at least, not like this."

"If you're talking about facing the Queen then you shouldn't…"

"No," Padmé said cutting him off and shaking her head. "It's not the queen that I'm worried about."

"Then what?"

Padmé raised her head so she was looking out the ship windshield. "My family," she then turned to look at him. "I haven't told them anything. I haven't told them about us or about the twins."

"To be honest," Anakin said sheepishly. "I haven't told my stepfamily anything either."

Padmé frowned. "You haven't spoken to your stepfamily since we left Tatooine after your mother's funeral."

"True." Anakin said.

"I should have told them, Ani. About everything. They'd be ashamed of me. I'm supposed to their daughter. Their sister. Their aunt."

"They aren't going to view you any differently, Padmé. If they do then, I'm sorry to have to say this, but screw them."

"Ani, I just can't erase them from my life. They're still my family."

"I know but you have to be prepared."

Padmé gave him a sideways look before sighing again and returning to look out the windshield.

* * *

It was just after lunchtime and Ahsoka had just put Luke and Leia for their midday naps. Padmé had given her a timeline of when the twins were to sleep and eat and when they may have been needed to be changed and bathed.

Ahsoka was more then happy to oblige but no child could follow a strict schedule especially when they were only three weeks old. She did however remember when Padmé had said it was only a rough outline and that things were likely to change.

Boy was she right.

It had only been a few hours since Anakin and Padmé had left for Naboo to face the queen and Padmé's family but Ahsoka had _never_ expected the twins to be such a handful. Just when she had gotten settled on the couch with her study, one of them would cry, practically screaming for attention. Ahsoka was just glad that a chain reaction hadn't started. Lux had had a senate session to attend to while Satine had agreed to meet with a few members of the Jedi Council on Obi-Wan's behalf while the Jedi Master himself headed to the library to do research. This left Ahsoka with Luke and Leia without any help.

She loved the twins to bits but something told her that she was in over her head. If Padmé given birth to only _one_ baby it would have been manageable but twins?! Ahsoka could only inwardly groan and roll her eyes. Not a good move for _Aunt_ Ahsoka, but hey. She was only thinking what she was sure Anakin and Padmé had thought when they realised raising twins wasn't going to be easy.

With a hefty sigh, the Padawan switched on her datapad and activated the mechanics manual she had started reading the night before. She was giving her study a break. Sort of. She had learnt a lot about mechanics over the last couple of years but she knew she would never be as good as Anakin. She had a strange feeling that Luke would follow in his father's mechanical footsteps. She only hoped that the boy didn't lose an arm like his father.

* * *

Obi-Wan sat at a computer terminal in the Jedi Temple Library pouring through a speeder-full of information. He and Satine had joined forces to discover why the Jedi Council had been so soft on punishing Anakin and co when they had confessed to having secrets that went against Jedi protocol. In all truth, there wasn't much to go on. Obi-Wan had sent her in his place to meet up with a couple of members of the council. She hadn't been too happy about it but he said that if there was one person that could talk the council into talking it would be her.

With a groan, Obi-Wan allowed his head to bang on the table in front of him. He had been sitting at the terminal for a couple of hours at least,. He hoped Satine was having more luck.

* * *

Satine stood in the Jedi Council chamber surrounded by only Masters Yoda, Plo and Fisto. The other masters had made excuses as to why they were not able to join them..

"Master Jedi," Satine said as she addressed the three Jedi masters. "I have come to ask why you did not take Obi-Wan, Anakin and Ahsoka's confessions more seriously. In the days of the Clone Wars and in the days before the war, the council use to take allegations much more seriously. What has suddenly changed?"

Kit and Plo looked at each other before looking over at Yoda.

"Our perspectives, dear duchess," Kit said wisely. "We have come to understand that laws need to be changed. Yes, we have been living under the same code for the last thousand years but we also understand that not every Jedi is the same."

Satine wasn't sure how to respond. She had heard how kind Masters Plo and Kit were but she had never expected them to actually agree with her. "You are not just _agreeing_ with me to try and prove me wrong later, are you?"

Yoda chuckled.

"Dear Duchess," Plo said kindly. "We are not toying with you. We merely are trying to understand what is best for the Jedi Order as a whole. We do not enjoy making rules of any sort."

"Anakin's confession of his marriage and idea that he fathered offspring with Senator Amidala… inspired us."

"Inspired you how?" Satine could tell that they were stalling.

"We can see how committed Skywalker is to his family and that it has made him a far greater Jedi then we ever could have foresaw." Fisto said. "We know now that Palpatine was willing to use his love for those he cared for to have him turn to the Dark Side. It was Amidala's love for him and the assistance of Obi-Wan and young Ahsoka that helped him overcome some difficult obstacles.

This took Satine by surprise. "So there is no corruption going on within the Jedi Council?"

"No corruption there is." Yoda said with a nod.

Satine looked at the three Jedi Masters who were looking at her expectantly. "If I may say one last thing before I take my leave, Master Jedi?"

The trio of Jedi nodded.

"I know you and your council have never approved of Anakin and his antics. I know you think he is dangerous but I have seen another side of him. I know you just mentioned that his family is the reason why he has become a great Jedi. That is partially true but I have seen him since his children were born and he is more… outgoing then he has ever been. You'd be fools if you were to consider expelling him.. You would never have gotten rid of Palpatine if it weren't for Anakin."

Without another word, the Mandalorian Duchess left the council chamber.

* * *

Ahsoka groaned as she slammed her head down on Padmé's coffee table. Luke had woken from his nap crying and she couldn't get him to stop. That had been three hours ago.

Groaning again, she lifted her head and picked up her comlink before punching in the contact details for Bail Organa. She had tried contacting Obi-Wan and Satine but to no avail. She knew Lux would still be in his meeting so the last person she could think of was Bail.

" _Bail Organa."_

"Senator Organa this is Ahsoka Tano."

" _Ahsoka, my dear. What can I do for you?"_

"Do you have a spare couple of hours? I've been trying to get Luke back to sleep and it has been three hours. He's been crying non-stop. I've tried everything."

Bail chuckled on the other end of the call. _"I'll be right there."_

After disconnecting the call to Bail, Ahsoka went over and gently scooped her nephew out of his fold up cot that had been set up next to the couch she was near.

"Come on, little guy," Ahsoka moaned as the infant boy continued to cry. "Can you _pretty please_ go back to sleep? Auntie Ahsoka needs to get her study done."

" _Ahsoka? You in here?"_ Came Bail's voice.

"Yeah, I'm down here."

Bail appeared around the corner and made his way towards the exhausted teenager and her infant nephew. "What's happened here?" Bail asked gently as Ahsoka slid Luke into the senator's waiting arms.

"He just woke up crying. I've tried _everything._ I've tried feeding him. I've tried changing him. I've checked for a fever. Nothing has worked and I'm panicking here."

Bail looked up at his young friend and chuckled. "It seems to me, my dear that your problem has been solved."

Ahsoka looked down at where Luke rested in Bail's arms to find her tiny godson sleeping. "How did you do that?" she breathed.

"I have no idea. I have heard that infants can often sense when anyone around them is tense and they can feel it too. Have you been feeling tense lately, dear?"

"Maybe a little," Ahsoka said as she sunk down on the sofa closest to Luke's foldup cot. "I have not left this apartment since Anakin and Padmé bought the twins home. Does that sound clingy? Be honest with me, Bail."

"A little bit, dear one but I can understand why. You're only making sure that they're safe. I think Anakin and Padmé would agree with me."

"Maybe you're right. I think I'm being a little bit _too_ overprotective and clingy. I don't mean to be."

"We all understand that."

A moment past before the silence was broken by the sound of Leia's cries coming from her parents' room. Ahsoka groaned.

Bail smiled and patted Ahsoka on the arm. "You go get some rest and I'll deal with Leia. Come back when you're ready."

"Are you sure?" Ahsoka asked. "Don't you have more work to do?"

"I have the rest of the day off."

Ahsoka nodded as she rose and stretched. "Okay. I'll be back hopefully before the dinner feed." With that she turned and headed for the door.

* * *

" _Are you sure that is what they said?"_ Obi-Wan said in disbelief.

"I am not going to repeat myself, darling," Satine said with an undignified roll of her eyes. "Everything I have just told you is what they told me. What did you find?"

"Absolutely nothing." Obi-Wan said with a dramatic sigh.

The couple was in the combined quarters that Obi-Wan had once shared with Anakin.

"Looks like we're in total agreement, my dear. The council really is changing."

"I never thought they would to be honest." Satine admitted as she sunk down next to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan nodded as Satine rested her head on his shoulder.

* * *

Night had fallen on Naboo.

Anakin sat on the edge of his and Padmé's bed on Varykino holding a holo-photo of the twins, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan that had been taken a few hours after the twins had been born.

"Ani?"

Anakin looked up to see that Padmé was standing in front of him. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

"About the twins?" Padmé asked as she sat down beside him.

Anakin nodded. He showed her the photo.

Padmé smiled as she took the photo from him.

"They're going to be fine. Ahsoka's with them and probably spoiling them rotten."

Anakin snorted. "Trust Ahsoka to do anything _but_ study."

Padmé pursed her lips. "Do you think we're doing the right thing?"

"I hope we are," Anakin answered. "Hopefully the queen will understand our situation."

Padmé didn't feel so hopeful. She hadn't had a chance to meet this new Queen of Naboo but from what she had heard, Apailana was known to be quite tough when it came to rules and regulations regarding politics. While she hoped Anakin's optimism was right to be enforced, Padmé couldn't help but cringe at the idea that the queen might not be so forgiving.

Anakin didn't fear Queen Apilana like Padmé did. He feared his in-laws more. He had never met them before and he wasn't sure how much they knew about him. He knew Padmé hadn't told them anything about their marriage. He knew a little bit about Padmé's parents Jobal and Ruwee and he knew that Padmé had an older sister named Sola who had two young daughters. He couldn't remember their names. If becoming a father had taught him anything about having a daughter it was that nothing came between you and your little girl.

The idea of Ruwee being like that with Padmé wouldn't have surprised him seeing as Padmé was the youngest. Anakin knew that Padmé was the 'pampered' one but from Padmé had told him, Ruwee as well as her mother Jobal also tried to shelter her knowing that one day it might get her killed. Sadly, they had been right in a way. It had almost gotten her killed on several occasions during the war.

"If the worse comes to worse, I will take the fall for everything, considering everything was kind of my doing."

Padmé turned to him and placed a hand to his cheek. "I can't have you taking the fall for something I agreed to. I agreed to marry you. I gave birth to your children. If you want to take the fall for that, I won't let you. I am partly responsible for this as well."

Anakin pulled her into a tight hug. "I love you." He murmured "So much."

"I love you too, Ani. We are going to get through this, that's a promise."

* * *

Anakin was ready for a fight. He was willing to fight for his family and his marriage and he didn't care who objected. He and Padmé had just crossed the lake retreat and were headed for Theed, Naboo's capital.

"I hope today goes well. It's not everyday we get to face judgment from the Queen of Naboo herself." Padmé sighed.

Anakin could feel his wife's anxiety. Her whole family was going to be at the 'trial'. While his feelings from the previous night hadn't returned, he knew the hearing would probably make it onto the Holonet that night and it wasn't something he wanted to hear, let alone see. He had been a poster boy for the Clone Wars campaign. He didn't _ever_ want to be involved with something like that again. "Everything is going to be fine." He reached across the speeder and took her hand.

"I just cannot believe that I am going to see my family again. I didn't think, that I would be seeing them in the Theed throne room while we're on trial."

"Don't think of it as a trial. Think of it as more of a warning."

Padmé gave him a look that told him he wasn't helping the situation.

"Sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to be feeling right now. I'm about to face the Queen of Naboo and my family all because I married someone I'm not supposed to love."

Anakin knew exactly how she felt. Before he had confessed to the Jedi Council, he had felt that everyone who wasn't in the know would be against him. He had found out really quickly that there were a select few who actually supported his opinions. "I got a question for you."

"Ask away." Padmé was relieved that Anakin had decided to change the subject.

"Does your family know about the twins?"

Padmé felt her face go pale as she shook her head. "No. They have no idea that we have Luke and Leia. In about forty-five minutes they'll know and knowing my family, they aren't going to be happy."

"They are still going to love you, regardless if you kept this from them."

"I hope you're right."

Suddenly, Anakin had an idea. "Can you call Ahsoka for me?"

"Why?"

"If we need someone to back up our claims, Ahsoka would be the best one to do it."

"What about Obi-Wan, Bail or Satine? They're around us and the twins just as much as Ahsoka is."

"I know but Ahsoka has been living with us. Who better then to declare to the queen that we're good as a couple and as parents then Snips?"

Padmé sighed in defeat. "The things I do for you, Ani." She then reached over to the console of the speeder and typed in the apartment's contact details.

* * *

Ahsoka was sitting on one of the couches in the apartment; her nose was buried deep in her study when she heard the apartment's comm beep.

"Ahsoka Tano."

" _Ahsoka, it's me."_

"Hey Padmé. How's Naboo?"

" _We haven't exactly had time to have fun. How're the twins?"_

"I've had a little trouble with them," Ahsoka admitted. "But everybody's been helping out."

" _Hey Ahsoka."_ Anakin called from the background.

Ahsoka chuckled. "Hey Anakin."

" _I'm calling because we need your help."_ Padmé said..

"What's happened?"

" _Nothing yet,"_ Anakin said. " _We were wondering if you'd serve as a witness for us if we needed it."_

"Of course, I will." Ahsoka snorted. "When _haven't_ I helped you guys?"

" _Ahsoka, I am dead serious."_ Anakin said sternly

"I know, Master but isn't it a bit much to ask for a witness for something like to this?"

" _Yes but this is different,"_ Anakin said the concern evident in his voice. _"Unlike the previous queen, we don't know anything about Queen Apailana's reputation other then she's tough when it comes to politics."_

"I understand your point." Ahsoka said nobly.

Anakin didn't argue with her. _"Thanks Ahsoka. Have I ever told you that you are the greatest Padawan in the galaxy?"_

"Sucking up, aren't we?"

" _Thanks Ahsoka for helping us."_ Padmé said before Anakin could give a rebuttal.

"No worries. Be sure to call if you need me."

With that, the link disconnected.

Ahsoka sighed, issued a smile before going back to her study.

* * *

Forty-five minutes had passed on Naboo and Anakin and Padmé had just been ushered into the Theed throne room. They stood with their backs straight and their heads held high. Neither of them had to look to the left to see the family of five standing not too far away.

Anakin knew that the greying man was Padmé's father; Ruwee while the woman next to him, clutching his hand tightly was Jobal, Padmé's mother. There was a woman standing beside Jobal who looked like an older version of Padmé whom had to be Sola, Padmé's older sister. As for the two young girls, it was a no brainer that they were Padmé's two young nieces.

" _Announcing Her Majesty, Queen Apailana of Naboo."_

A regal young woman entered the room flanked by her handmaidens. She was dressed in silver with the same white face paint Anakin remembered Padmé donning during her two terms as queen. The markings that Apailana had painted on her face however were different. Padmé's face had donned red spots like Jamilia's had while the previous queen, Neeyutnee had had triangles. Apailana's painted markings were lines.

Apailana gestured for her guests and her council to sit.

Anakin and Padmé sat at once.

"It has been brought to my attention that rules have been broken," said Apailana in a tone that indicated authority and kindness. She looked over at Padmé. "Senator Amidala, you have come before me today to make a confession, is that correct?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Padmé said as she rose to her feet. "Three years ago, during the onset of the Clone Wars, I had a decision that would change my life." She turned to face Anakin and gestured for him to stand. "I married then Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker."

The silence in the room was electric.

Padmé dared herself to look over at her family. What she saw made her blood run cold. The looks her family was giving her would haunt her for the rest of her days.

Sola was giving her a revolted look.

Her nieces, Ryoo and Pooja looked about ready to break down into tears.

What hurt the senator the most were the looks on her parents' faces.

Both Ruwee and Jobal refused to look at their daughter.

Padmé felt her stomach twist. Her parents and sister hated her for keeping this a secret from them. She couldn't help but look over at her nieces to see that they were upset with her. She felt guilty for not telling them that they now had an uncle and two infant cousins.

"Why have you decided to go public with your marriage now?" Apailana asked kindly.

Padmé felt that she and Anakin didn't deserve the queen's kindness. Taking a deep breath, she plunged into her explanation. "We decided to go public because three weeks ago, Anakin, along with his Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano and former master Obi-Wan Kenobi went public with all their own relationships to the Jedi High Council."

There was a snort from where Padmé's family was standing. All heads turned in their direction.

Jobal and Ruwee turned their heads to see that a look of amusement was playing on the face of their eldest daughter.

"Sola," Jobal breathed. "Not now."

"Yes, now, mom." Sola said giving her mother a hard look before stepping forward. "Please forgive my tardiness, Your Majesty." She bowed her head.

"Ambassador Naberrie, what is the meaning of this?" Apailana asked.

"I do not approve of what my sister is claiming. If I may, Your Majesty, everybody knows that any form of attachment formed by a Jedi is a crime in the eyes of Jedi Order. If this Jedi," Sola pointed at Anakin. "Is married to Padmé then why is he not expelled from the Jedi Order? Why is the marriage not recorded and stored in the Archive of the Brotherhood?" She eyed the lightsabre hanging from Anakin's belt.

Padmé saw her sister's eyes wander to her husband's weapon. Without a second thought, she grabbed the weapon from Anakin's belt, leaving him no time to protest. She walked towards her sister and stopped just a couple of metres from her. "This weapon," she held up the lightsabre hilt. "Is an elegant weapon for a more civilized age, big sister." She paused and gave Sola a hard look. She then turned back to the queen. "I remember then Anakin handed me this weapon for the first time. He tried to persuade me we needed to spend time alone someplace where no one would know who we were. As husband and wife." She looked over her shoulder at him for a moment before turning back to the queen and her sister.

From where he was sitting, Anakin didn't feel so intimidated by Padmé's family anymore. He deemed an angry Obi-Wan and Ahsoka scarier. Oh, and he dared not think of Padmé as scary. She would skin him alive. He wanted to smile at the way Padmé was handling the situation with her sister but found himself unable to.

"Love is all around us. Yes, Jedi aren't allowed to love but every being in the galaxy can love. It is a natural response. Laws are meant to be broken," She looked around at every being in the room including her parents and husband. "I love Anakin. I love the life we have created. I love," she paused. "Our children."

The atmosphere in the room suddenly changed. It felt as if all the air had been sucked away and released out into space.

" _Children?"_

Padmé turned to see that her father had spoken for the first time since she and Anakin had arrived in the room.

"You have children with this Jedi?" Ruwee asked exasperated.

Padmé swallowed. "Yes. Twins. A boy and a girl."

Ruwee looked at his wife and Sola. Sola's daughters looked up at their mother and grandparents.

"I have a nephew and niece?" Sola breathed, her face changing from angry to shocked in a nanosecond.

"How old?" Apailana asked, curiously.

"Three weeks." Anakin said as he slid out of his seat. He pulled his datapad from a pouch on his belt and quickly found the most appropriate holo-photo of the twins that he had. For the first three weeks of the twins' lives, Anakin, Padmé Obi-Wan, Ahsoka and Satine had taken over a hundred holo-photos of the twins. Needless to say, they were very photogenic for only being three weeks old.

The only photo Anakin could find that was appropriate that he had taken was of the twins with Obi-Wan and Satine that had been taken two days earlier. Ahsoka was in the photo too but the only part of her that could be seen was her shoulder and a small portion of the back of her head.

The queen held out a hand for the photo. Anakin scrambled over to her and handed her the device for her to see the photo.

Padmé watched as Anakin stumbled over to the side so the queen could examine the photo.

"What are their names?" The queen asked in earnest.

"Luke and Leia." Anakin said, the pride seeping into his voice.

The queen continued to examine the photo. She could see two happy infants whom were greatly loved. She could imagine just how devoted Padmé and Anakin were to them and how much of a role Master Kenobi and the former Duchess of Mandalore played in their lives.

"I can see just how devoted you are to your family, Senator Amidala," Apailana said as she handed Anakin back his datapad. Anakin bowed his head and headed back to his seat, his datapad coming to rest in his lap. "I can see how much being married to Master Skywalker means to you." She paused.

Padmé turned to face queen and straightened. Part of her wanted to be in Anakin's arms while another part of her wanted to stand up and take responsibility.

"While I should not be allowing this relationship and should be expelling you from your place in the Senate, I have taken into account that you have not allowed this to affect your ability to work. Furthermore, I am allowing you to continue your tuition as Senator of Naboo."

Padmé felt her shoulders sag in relief.

Anakin closed his eyes and sighed, a relieved smile crossing his face.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Padmé smiled.

Queen Apailana nodded. She then turned to face the Naberrie family. "Thank you for bearing witness to this meeting."

The Naberries nodded.

Ruwee was the first to venture over to his daughter and newly acknowledged son-in-law.

Padmé hugged Anakin tightly, struggling to not to cry tears of joy.

" _Padmé."_

The couple turned to see Ruwee stopped in front of them.

"I wanted to extend my congratulations to you and Anakin on Luke and Leia's births." Ruwee extended his arms out.

Padmé gave her father a grateful look before pulling herself free of her husband's arms and taking the few steps over to her father. "Thank you, daddy." She said as she hugged him.

Where they were standing, Ruwee's granddaughters looked at each other before running over to their grandfather and aunt.

"Aunt Padmé." Said the eldest girl.

Padmé looked over just as the girls stopped a short distance away from their grandfather. "Ryoo. Pooja." She tore herself out of her father's arms and over to her nieces where they hugged her fiercely.

Anakin and Ruwee smiled at the reunion.

Before too long, Jobal and a reluctant Sola had joined them.

"Welcome home, my darling." Jobal said as she tightly hugged her youngest daughter.

"Thank you, mom." Padmé practically melted into her mother's embrace. She had forgotten what it was like to be hugged by her mother.

Anakin couldn't keep the smile from his face. He then walked over to the girls. "I guess that makes me your uncle, girls."

Ryoo and Pooja looked at each other and giggled.

"How about a hug for your dear ol' uncle, ah?"

Ryoo and Pooja almost crashed tackled Anakin as they group hugged him.

Sola didn't seem impressed. Sure, Ruwee and Jobal had immediately forgiven Padmé for keeping her marriage and her children a secret from them but Sola wasn't so forgiving and was insistent in giving her sister and her new brother-in-law the cold shoulder. She crossed her arms, determined to show her discomfort of the situation before her.

Padmé caught sight of her sister's cold expression but chose to ignore it. She had known that Sola was going to be pull something like this. Sola had always been by the book, so to speak. Padmé knew she would have to sort Sola out later but right now; her parents and nieces needed her full attention.

"Why don't you come home for lunch? You could fill us in on everything that has been going on over the last three years." Jobal said.

"We'd love that, wouldn't we Ani?"

"Please Uncle Anakin?" Pooja begged.

Anakin smiled down at her. "Of course."

"Meet you both at the house in an hour?" Ruwee said.

"See you there." Padmé smiled with a nod.

* * *

Ahsoka was at her wits end. It was just after noon and the twins had awoken from their naps needing to be changed.

Lux had stopped by with lunch, only to be pulled into helping Ahsoka with changing the twins' diapers.

"Why did you pull me into this?" he cringed as he struggled against the stink of baby poop as he slowly pulled away Luke's dirty diaper.

"Because I can't handle changing two stinky babies at one time." Ahsoka said as she replaced Leia's diaper.

"You're lucky, you know." Lux grunted as he disposed of Luke's diaper in the trash. "You get to change the girl while I'm stuck changing the boy. I've never done this before."

"Luke's a living missile. His aim is better most Clone Troopers were during the war with a cannon."

As if on cue, Lux was forced to dodge flying pee from Luke. "Good point."

Ahsoka grinned as she buttoned up Leia's onesie. "There you go my little princess." She cooed.

Leia giggled as her aunt pressed a sloppy kiss to her belly.

Lux was impressed. He couldn't believe how good Ahsoka was with her. He finished changing Luke and pressed a kiss to the infant boy's cheek.

Luke gave his uncle a cheeky smile.

"I think he has you wrapped around his little finger." Ahsoka said as she settled Leia in her arms.

"No, I think he has _you_ wrapped around his little finger. You know him better."

"I know him because I know some of his father's bad habits."

"He's like Anakin? But he's only three weeks old."

Ahsoka shrugged. "What do they say? 'Like father, like son'?"

"So I've heard." Lux nodded as Luke cooed for his attention causing him to look down at the infant in his arms.

"I can only fear what Luke is going to be like when he's older." Ahsoka sighed.

"What about Leia? Do you fear for her?" Lux asked curiously.

Ahsoka licked her lips. "I can imagine she's going to be a younger version of Padmé."

"Do you think either one of the twins will become Jedi?"

Ahsoka became thoughtful. "Maybe. I know Anakin isn't looking forward to _that_ conversation when it rears its ugly head."

Lux gave her a look of reassurance.

Suddenly, there was a beeping coming from the apartment's comm.

Ahsoka stepped over to Leia's foldout crib and placed her niece down, running a hand through the infant girl's hair as she did so before going over to where the comm sat.

" _Ahsoka Tano."_

There was laughter on the other end.

" _Easy Ahsoka, it's just us."_ Came Padmé's voice.

Lux put Luke down in the boy's own fold out crib before going over to join his girlfriend.

"Padmé, hey. How're things on Naboo?" Ahsoka asked as Lux joined her.

" _Surprisingly well. Turns out, we didn't need to use you as a witness after all."_ Anakin responded.

Ahsoka laughed. "I know. I was half-expecting a call saying 'Help us, Ahsoka Tano, you're our only hope'."

" _Really mature, Snips."_

"Okay then," Ahsoka said, trying to break the subject up and onto something else more entertaining. "So, Padmé _didn't_ lose her place in the Senate?"

" _No, I didn't. The queen was incredibly understanding of our situation. My sister on the other hand, isn't so forgiving."_

"Oh, right. The family reunion. Has it happened yet?"

" _Not yet,"_ said Anakin. _"But it will in about fifty minutes from now."_

"That was awfully fast," Lux said. "How are the in-laws?"

" _Hi to you too, Lux. Ruwee seems to be supportive. As does Jobal. Ryoo and Pooja are all for it."_

Lux turned to Ahsoka for an explanation.

"Ruwee is Padmé's father, Jobal is her mother. Ryoo and Pooja are Padmé's nieces, the daughters of her sister Sola."

" _Very well informed with my family, Soka."_ Ahsoka could almost hear the pride in Padmé's voice.

"Why thank you, P. I'm glad I could be of assistance."

" _How are the twins?"_ Anakin asked.

Lux and Ahsoka grinned. They had suspected the twins would be bought up at some point during the conversation.

"Little angels as you'd expect." Ahsoka said sweetly.

" _Why do I suspect that there's more to this?"_ Anakin teased.

Ahsoka scowled but was glad that Anakin couldn't see her expression. "Okay! Geez. Lux and I were changing the twins before and there was a pee-pee incident."

There was a strangled snort before Anakin could be heard laughing on the other end of the connection.

" _That's my boy."_ Anakin said through his laughter.

" _Ani, please be nice."_ Padmé scolded her husband.

" _What? You have to admit that is the funniest thing she has ever said."_

Ahsoka could just imagine Padmé rolling her eyes at Anakin's childishness.

" _Who got hit?"_ Anakin asked once he had gotten his laughter under control.

"No one, thankfully but Lux was the one that was changing Luke."

" _Ah. Poor guy."_ Was Anakin's response.

Lux scowled but said nothing. He knew Anakin was bound to have one up on him if he said anything more.

"Shouldn't you be visiting the in-laws now?" Ahsoka questioned, hoping to end the conversation.

" _She's right Ani. We've been talking for twenty minutes."_ Padmé agreed.

" _Okay, okay. We're going. We'll be home in a few days."_

"You're extending your trip?" Ahsoka asked.

" _We might be. We just have to see how things go with the Naberries. Oh and Ahsoka?"_ Anakin said.

"Yeah?"

" _Don't get into trouble."_

"I've been staying out of trouble. Remember? I haven't left the apartment in three weeks."

" _We'll hold you to that. Look out for each other, you hear us?"_

"Yes, Master." Ahsoka nodded despite Anakin not being able to see her.

The connection disconnected.

* * *

Anakin and Padmé stood outside the Naberrie residence. They had arrived with just minutes to spare. Given the speed of the traffic, it was a miracle that they got there at all. Plus the twenty minutes they had used up talking to Ahsoka and Lux had added insult to injury and had put pressure on their travel time.

Padmé's hands shook as she stood staring at her parents' front door.

"It's going to be okay," Anakin assured her. "They don't hate you."

Padmé looked over her shoulder at him, unsure of what she should be feeling. She didn't feel at ease even when Anakin placed a hand on her shoulder. "Why aren't I reassured of that?"

Anakin didn't answer. Without a second thought, he reached forward and pressed the door chime button.

A long moment past before the door slid up, revealing Jobal.

"Mom." Padmé said in an attempt to appear calm.

"Hello dears. Come in, come in." Jobal stepped aside allowing her daughter and son-in-law into the house.

Padmé stepped into the house first but not before grabbing Anakin's hand for support.

Anakin followed behind Padmé, clutching her hand.

Jobal turned away from the doorway, allowing it to close behind her.

* * *

Anakin looked around in awe at the homeliness that was Padmé's childhood home. There were holo-photos on the walls of Padmé and Sola as children as well as a few family photos including ones of Ryoo and Pooja as babies.

"Please make yourselves at home." Jobal said warmly. She then headed into the kitchen.

"I like your mother." Anakin murmured to Padmé.

" _Aunt Padmé!"_

Padmé and Anakin turned to see Ryoo and Pooja run into the room.

"Hi girls." Padmé giggled as she crouched down to hug them.

"Hi Uncle Anakin." Ryoo said with the sweetest smile Anakin had ever seen.

"Hi Ryoo." Anakin smiled.

Jobal returned a moment later. "Lunch is ready."

The girls set off at a run into the kitchen.

"No running, girls." Jobal called as her granddaughters disappeared through the kitchen doorway.

Anakin and Padmé smiled as the senator rose out of her crouch.

"Sorry about them," Jobal apologised. "They're just really happy that you're here."

"It's nice to finally meet them," Anakin blurted before he could stop himself. "I have heard _so_ many stories about them."

Jobal chuckled. "Come. Everybody is waiting for you."

* * *

Sola and Ruwee were seated at the kitchen table when Ryoo and Pooja ran in.

"Ryoo, Pooja, how many times have you been told? No running." Sola scolded her daughters.

The girls didn't appear to be listening as they took up their seats at the table.

A moment later, Jobal returned with Anakin and Padmé behind her.

Sola's face paled at the sight of her sister.

"Darling," Ruwee muttered under his breath. "Not now."

Sola gave her father a seething look. How could he defend Padmé after all the secrets she had hidden from them? Oh yes, that was right. Padmé was the cherished, favorite daughter, all because she was a successful politician. Sola had to fight the urge to roll her eyes.

"Welcome home Padmé." Ruwee said rising from his chair to hug his youngest daughter.

"Thank you dad. It's good to be home."

"Welcome to our home, son," Ruwee said, issuing Anakin with a kind smile. "Whatever you need, just ask. After all, you are now a member of the family."

"Thank you, sir." Anakin said almost shyly.

"'Sir?'" Ruwee laughed. "Please, Anakin, just call me Ruwee."

Anakin nodded respectfully before taking up a seat next to Padmé at the table.

"Tell us about yourself, Anakin," Jobal prompted. "Rumor has it that you're one of the finest Jedi to ever set foot on the battlefield."

"I can't take _all_ the credit," Anakin said modestly. "My former master and my Padawan are to be credited as well."

"Master?" Ryoo asked politely. "Who was your master, Uncle Anakin?"

"Ryoo! Don't interrupt." Sola hissed at her eldest daughter.

Padmé her sister a look of warning which Sola ignored.

"It's okay, Sola. She's just being curious. What makes you ask, Ryoo?" Anakin asked.

Ryoo shrugged. "You mentioned you had one."

Anakin offered her a smile. "One of the greatest Jedi Masters within the Jedi Order. Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"A very brave man indeed." Ruwee nodded. "He's known for his negotiation skills, is that right?"

"Yes, that's right." Anakin nodded.

"Uncle Anakin?" Pooja said a little shyly.

"Yes, Pooja?"

"What's a Pada-Pada..."

"Padawan." Jobal said, helping Pooja with the word.

"Yeah, that."

"A Padawan," Padmé told her niece gently. "Is a like an apprentice. Someone who is training to become a Jedi."

"Ooh." Pooja said before going back to her food.

"In fact," Anakin dug around in his tunic pocket and pulled out his datapad. He turned to Jobal. "Is it alright if I show you all something?"

Jobal nodded. "You're very welcome to show us anything, dear."

Anakin smiled before going about accessing his device. It took him all of two seconds to find what he was looking for. He accessed a file and sat the device down on the table. The file activated and a video appeared.

Padmé smiled. "You're really willing to show _that_ video?"

Anakin looked over at her before activating the video.

" _No, no, no!"_ came the voice of Ahsoka. _"Turn it off!"_

" _Not a chance, Snips."_ Anakin could be heard in the background saying.

Ahsoka groaned before looking up at the camera. She waved half-heartedly.

"Meet my Padawan, Ahsoka Tano. She also serves as a partial namesake for Leia."

"Your daughter?" Ruwee asked.

"Yes," Padmé nodded. "Ahsoka has stood with us since her near-departure from the Jedi Order. That is a story for another day." She said as Jobal opened her mouth.

"Ahsoka has been amazing throughout this whole saga. We thought it would be a nice gesture." Anakin said.

"And Leia's twin?"

Now it was Anakin's turn to smile. "Luke. We decided to name Luke in honor of my own master."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, right?" Ryoo asked, bouncing up and down in her seat.

"You got it, miss Ryoo." Anakin grinned.

Ryoo giggled.

"So, our grandson's name is Luke Obi-Wan Skywalker?" Jobal asked.

"Not exactly." Padmé said. "We decided to use Obi-Wan's code name of Ben."

Jobal and Ruwee nodded in approval.

While Padmé knew her parents were only to being nice, a part of her knew they didn't approve of the situation she had found herself in. She married to a famed Jedi Knight and became the mother of his children.

"I love my family," Padmé found herself saying. She wasn't surprised when her entire family looked at her. "I would not trade them for anything." She rose from her chair, her gaze turned to her sister. "I don't care if any of you are supportive of any of this." Without another word, she walked off, leaving her family and husband to look at each other.

* * *

Anakin found Padmé sitting on the bed in her old bedroom. "Padmé?"

Padmé didn't look up as her hands tightened on the edge on the mattress. "We shouldn't have come here, Ani."

The door shut behind Anakin as he moved into the room and went to sit at his wife's side.

Padmé shook her head before she looked back at her husband. "I know I'm being paranoid but I know my parents aren't accepting of us and the twins."

"I don't blame you for feeling that way," Anakin said gently as Padmé rested her head on his shoulder. "I could feel your sister's eyes on me the entire time. It was as if she was trying to burn me alive with her eyes." He shuddered.

"She's jealous." Padmé shrugged.

"Where's her husband?" Anakin asked.

"Darred's off-world. He's a painter so he's often away from home."

"Shame. It would have been nice to meet the _entire_ family."

Padmé nodded. "Darred's lovely and not at all judgmental. What he saw in Sola is beyond me."

"Has she always been uptight?"

"She likes to tease," Padmé said in an attempt to sound disgusted. "She has always liked to point out that she's older then me. Being the oldest, she likes to show me she did the right thing and that I didn't."

"What do you mean?" Anakin asked.

"She 'retired' from public life. She got married and had two beautiful kids. Me? I remained in politics despite my family's protests. I didn't settle down, marry a nobleman and have a family like they wanted."

Anakin could hear the hurt in her voice that her family no longer trusted her.

"I don't regret us," Padmé sniffed as she looked over at Anakin. "I love you far more then I've ever said."

Anakin wordlessly pulled her into a hug. "I love you too, Padmé. I love you, Luke, Leia, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan and every one of our friends. I wouldn't trade my life with you for anything."

Padmé buried her head in Anakin's chest and let out a strangled sob.

"Don't let your paranoia get the best of you."

Padmé sniffed and nodded.

* * *

Ahsoka and Lux were in a fix.

They had turned their backs for only a second and Luke and Leia had somehow managed to get themselves incredibly dirty.

"How can two three-week-old infants get themselves into a messy bind like this so quickly?" Lux asked scratching his head.

Ahsoka could only look at him.

"What are we going to do now?"

" _Ahsoka? Lux?"_

"Down here Obi-Wan." Ahsoka called.

A moment later, Obi-Wan appeared.

"Master Kenobi." Lux bowed his head in respect.

Obi-Wan bowed his head in return. He had grown tired of trying to get Lux to call him Obi-Wan and had settled for his formal title.

"Lux," Ahsoka said causing Lux to look at her. "You know that Obi-Wan prefers to be called by his name."

"It is a force of habit, love." Lux said sincerely.

Ahsoka went to protest when Obi-Wan cut across her.

"It's okay, Ahsoka. I don't mind."

Ahsoka raised a painted eyebrow. "You were complaining about it the other day."

Obi-Wan raised his own eyebrow and Ahsoka looked away, ending the discussion in its tracks. Obi-Wan then changed the subject. "What's going on here?"

"We can't work out how the twins got themselves so dirty." Ahsoka said.

Obi-Wan looked down in the crib on the right to see the cheeky look on little Luke's face. He reached down and picked the infant up who squealed in glee. "What have you and your sister gotten yourselves into, young Luke?" Obi-Wan asked the infant boy despite knowing he wouldn't get an answer.

"We need to give them both baths." Lux said.

"Good idea." Obi-Wan agreed. "One of you pick up Leia and follow me to the bathroom."

Lux and Ahsoka looked at each other before Ahsoka went and collected Leia.

"Come on, little princess," Ahsoka sighed. "Let's get you and your brother cleaned up."

* * *

Anakin and Padmé lay on the small bed in silence. They had spoken about the reactions of Padmé's family and they were trying to weigh up what their options were now.

Anakin had met a lot of people in his time but none were as stubborn or as opinionated then Padmé's family. While he understood why they were the way they were he believed that no one should hold a grudge forever. He also wasn't sure what to do about Padmé's paranoia.

According to Padmé, her father had once supported her political career when his old friend Onoconda Farr had still been alive. When Farr had been murdered, Ruwee worried that his daughter, who had already been the target of multiple assassination attempts, was going to be the next target. The news that Ruwee had withdrawn his support of her career had devastated Padmé but she had taken it in stride.

There was a knock on the door, surprising the couple.

"Come in." Padmé called hoarsely.

The door opened, revealing Ryoo.

"Aunt Padmé? Uncle Anakin?"

"Ryoo?" Padmé said as she and Anakin sat up. "What's wrong?"

Ryoo hesitantly bit her lip before walking deeper into the room, allowing the door to shut behind her. "Why doesn't mom like you now?"

Anakin gave his new niece a compassionate look.

"Your mother doesn't like the… situation I have gotten myself into." Padmé told her niece as Ryoo sat down on the edge of the bed.

"You did what you thought was right, Aunt Padmé." Ryoo said.

"Your mother has always looked to the traditional side of life," Padmé said as she pulled her legs over the edge of the bed. "She has always believed that if you retire from public life at a young age, you marry someone that is within your own class and have a couple of kids was the way to live." Padmé rolled her eyes.

"It's not for anyone." Ryoo said.

"That's exactly what I said." Anakin nodded.

Ryoo smiled. "Don't let mom's comments get to you."

"She didn't even say anything the entire time we were out there. Also, I don't think your grandparents are happy with the my life."

"It's your life, Aunt Padmé. No one should be telling you how to live it. I can deal with grandma and grandpa if you like."

Ryoo's comment caught Anakin and Padmé by surprise.

"How is it," Anakin said slowly, causing Ryoo to look at him. "That a twelve-year-old can have such strong views on the ways of life?"

Ryoo sat up and smiled charmingly.

" _Ryoo? Where are you, sweetheart?"_ Came the voice of Jobal from the other side of the door.

Ryoo cringed as the door slid up, revealing her grandmother.

"There you are," Jobal sighed as she laid eyes on her eldest granddaughter. "Your mother's about to leave."

"Yes, grandma," Ryoo rose from the bed before turning to her face her grandmother. "Gran?" she said.

Jobal looked over at her to see a defiant look had crossed Ryoo's face. She was even surprised to see that her granddaughter had her arms crossed. "Yes, Ryoo?"

"Give Aunt Padmé and Uncle Anakin a chance."

Jobal blinked. "We are."

"You're not." Jobal's head shot up to see that Padmé was now standing while Anakin was still sitting on the bed. Jobal went to open her mouth only to have Padmé cut across her. "You might say you are, mom, but you aren't."

Jobal sighed. "Your father and I love you Padmé. Yes, you are right. We don't agree with your choices but if they make you happy then we're happy with that."

Padmé still wasn't happy with her mother's statement. "I wish Anakin and I had never come here."

Ryoo gasped.

Anakin jumped off the bed and went to comfort the pre-teen. "Padmé." He said through gritted teeth.

Padmé ignored him and stared her mother down.

"I don't care what you think, mother. Or what dad and Sola think. My life is my life," she then turned to Anakin. "Come on Anakin. Tomorrow, we're going home."

Padmé pushed past her mother but not before giving Ryoo an apologetic look as she headed for the door.

Once Padmé was out of the room, Anakin looked to Jobal. "I am so sorry, Jobal. She's not normally like this."

Jobal sighed and went to sit down on the bed. "No, Anakin. It is I that must apologise. Ryoo's right. Ruwee, Sola and I haven't been fair to you or Padmé."

Ryoo looked up at Anakin who gave her a look of reassuring look.

"You don't have to make it up to me. You need to make it up to Padmé before you lose her permanently." Anakin said.

"Uncle Anakin's right, gran." Ryoo said.

"You're both right. Come. We need to stop her from leaving the house."

* * *

Ahsoka had collapsed on the sofa after she, Lux and Obi-Wan had bathed Luke and Leia. Lux and Obi-Wan were upstairs trying to get the twins to sleep.

She had just pulled out her datapad when she received a message from Padmé.

 _Coming home tomorrow. Hope the twins haven't been too much trouble._

Ahsoka frowned at the message. The last time she had spoken to Anakin and Padmé, they had extended their trip to Naboo in order to spend time with Padmé's family. What could have happened that was so bad?

"Obi-Wan, Lux." Ahsoka called as she reread the message. "You might wanna see this."

Obi-Wan and Lux rushed down the steps from the twins' room.

"What's wrong, Ahsoka?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Look at this." Ahsoka held up her datapad for Obi-Wan and Lux to read the message.

"Padmé and Anakin are coming home, earlier then what they said." Lux said looking from the message to Ahsoka. "They were supposed to be coming back in a few days. What's changed?"

"I have no idea." Ahsoka typed in a message and waited for Padmé to respond.

* * *

Anakin, Jobal and Ryoo jogged through the house in search of Padmé. They finally found her trying to get past Pooja who looked on the verge of tears.

"Don't go Aunty." Pooja pouted.

Ryoo sighed in relief. If there was one thing her little sister was good at it was making people feel guilty over their actions.

Padmé couldn't bring herself to upset her youngest niece. After all, she hadn't seen her or Ryoo in three years and it pained her. She loved them too much. She had missed all their birthdays in the last three years and she wasn't about to miss anymore. She wanted the twins to know their cousins.

"Oh, Pooja," she said as she crouched down to Pooja's level and held out her arms. "Come here."

Pooja launched herself into her aunt's arms.

Sola and Ruwee had just entered the room to see what all the fuss was about.

Anakin and Jobal smiled.

 _Mission accomplished._ Anakin couldn't help but think.

Suddenly, a beeping could be heard coming from the pocket of Padmé's dress.

Drawing back slightly from Pooja's hug, Padmé pulled out her datapad to find she had a message from Ahsoka.

 _Got your message. You okay?_

With a smile, the senator replied.

 _Yes, everything is fine. Sorry for the message before. I was upset over nothing. Please tell Obi-Wan and Lux that Anakin and I will be home when we said._

She sent the message only to receive a message a moment later.

 _If you're sure. We will see you upon your return._

Anakin was relieved to see that his wife was no longer conflicted. It was a relief to see that just one heartfelt look from the youngest of their nieces was enough to get Padmé to change her mind.

Padmé looked up to see that Anakin was smiling at her. She smiled in return, just glad that her little self-conflict was gone.

"You're not buying this, are you?" Sola asked in total disbelief.

 _Uh oh._ Anakin thought. "Haven't you had your say, Sola?"

"Stay out of this, Jedi!" Sola hissed. "This doesn't concern you."

"Leave my husband out of this, Sola." Padmé said as she rose to her feet. Pooja slid her hand into her aunt's. "You have always been jealous of me. I was the one that mom and dad always had to keep an eye on because my work was _so_ dangerous. I am the one who became Queen of Naboo at fourteen. I was the one who became Naboo's leading senator after my term ended. I am the one who married a Jedi Knight and became the mother of a beautiful set of twins. What have you ever done, big sister? You went to a highly regarded university, met the man of your dreams, retired from public life and had two beautiful girls. Yes, living a life of peace is good for _some_ people. That is _not_ the life I have lead. I have been trying to make the galaxy a safer place for everybody, especially my children. Don't you _dare_ think this is an act. You've always thought of yourself as superior to me."

Sola was taken aback by her sister's speech. Padmé had _never_ spoken to her like that before, especially in front of the girls. Looking over at each of her daughters, she could see that they were just as disgusted with her as their aunt was. Ryoo and Pooja might have only been young but if the war had taught them anything, it was to stand up for what was right.

"Mom," said Ryoo. "This is ridiculous. Whatever happened to the relationship you and Aunt Padmé had when you were my age and Pooja's age? Whatever happened to the stories grandpa and gran use to tell me about you and Aunt Padmé? Why are you so jealous of everything Aunt Padmé has achieved?"

Sola was truly stunned. She never would have thought that her eldest daughter so outspoken.

"You're all right. I am jealous of Padmé's successful career. I hate the fact that she acts as a voice to the people of Naboo and to other planets that Naboo is allied with. I certainly never had that type of support when I was painting. I always thought I was a failure in the eyes of mom and dad."

Ruwee and Jobal walked over to their eldest daughter and enveloped her in a hug.

"We never saw you as a failure, Sola." Jobal said.

"Alas, your mother's right, Sola. We love you and Padmé equally. Yes, your sister is more successful but we don't love you any less." Ruwee said.

 _Wow,_ Anakin thought. _I never would have thought Sola would be worried about this now. She's a grown woman who is jealous of her sister._ Anakin of course, said nothing.

While Sola was apologizing to Ruwee and Jobal for being a 'spoiled brat', Padmé lead her nieces over to Anakin.

"Mom's apologizing a _lot._ " Ryoo said, throwing her head back with a groan.

Anakin rested a hand on her shoulder. "You should have seen Obi-Wan and I after the war ended. There was a _lot_ of apologizing there too."

Ryoo said nothing else while Pooja clung to Padmé's arm.

Seeing that her niece was uneasy, Padmé crouched down and scooped her up. She stroked her hair and kissed her cheek. "It's okay, Pooja."

There was a sniff, prompting Padmé, Anakin and the girls to look over at Sola. She held her arms out to her girls who broke free from their aunt and uncle and went to hug her.

"I'm so sorry, my darlings," Sola apologised to her daughters. "I shouldn't have been jealous of your aunt."

"You're sisters," said Ryoo. "It's okay to be jealous."

Sola pulled back slightly and smiled at her girls.

* * *

True to their word, Anakin and Padmé stayed with the Naberries for a couple of days before deciding it was time to go home to Coruscant.

" _It was wonderful having you,"_ Jobal said as she hugged Padmé goodbye. "Don't be a stranger dear."

The family were stationed at one of the local hangars where Anakin had landed Padmé's ship upon his and Padmé's arrival on Naboo just days earlier.

Padmé smiled into her mother's embrace. "We won't."

Ruwee stepped over to Anakin. "Look after my daughter, Anakin." Ruwee said holding out a hand.

Anakin shook it. "I will."

"Uncle Anakin?" Pooja said sweetly.

Anakin crouched down so he was at Pooja's height. "Yes, Pooja?"

"When we come and visit, will we get to meet Luke and Leia?"

"Of course," Anakin smiled. "You're their cousins. We wouldn't stop you from seeing them."

"Yay." Pooja cheered.

Padmé smiled before turning to face the girls. "Come here, you two."

Ryoo and Pooja hurried over to give their aunt one last hug.

"Behave yourselves and we shall see you both soon, okay?" Padmé said as she placed stray strains of hair out of her niece's faces.

The girls nodded and hugged her again before letting her go.

Padmé rose to her feet and stepped over to Anakin. "Ready to go home?"

Anakin smiled and nodded.

* * *

Ahsoka, Lux and Obi-Wan stood on the landing bay platform with the twins in arms.

Leia cooed from Obi-Wan's arms while Luke gurgled in Ahsoka's.

Obi-Wan had tried holding Luke but he had cried non-stop for Ahsoka so the Jedi Master had had no choice but to hand Anakin and Padmé's son over to his godmother while he handled Leia.

Satine had wanted to be there for Padmé and Anakin's arrival home but she had been called into a last minute meeting with Chancellor Mothma and hadn't been able to pull out.

Lux looked between the two Jedi. He could tell by the way Ahsoka was standing that she was anxious to be out of the apartment after three weeks of being boxed in with the twins. He rested a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder just as the familiar rumble of engines sounded.

Padmé's ship landed and the ramp lowered.

After a moment, Padmé and Anakin disembarked from the ship.

Anakin breathed in a breath of air. "Ah. Coruscant. Home sweet home." His eyes darted to his two tiny children in the arms of his two best friends. "Hey. There they are."

Padmé shook her head her husband's ignorance of their three friends.

"How were they?" Anakin asked as he took Luke from Ahsoka.

"A little… messy."

Anakin looked at her.

"But they were little angels otherwise." Ahsoka said as an afterthought.

Anakin smirked. "That's better."

" _Ani."_ Padmé said as she stepped over to her husband.

"What?" Anakin said in amusement.

"Ignore him." Obi-Wan said as Leia started to fuss.

"Hard not to," Lux said in an undertone. "He does have a habit of getting under people's skin."

Anakin gave Lux a distasteful look. "You've been dating my Padawan too long." A cruel yet teasing smirk crossed Anakin's face.

Ahsoka was too absorbed in Leia who was now waving her little arms around in the air to take much notice. Her goddaughter had started to fuss so Obi-Wan had handed her over to Ahsoka knowing she was the one person that could stop her from fussing.

"So we take it that babysitting the twins was pleasurable?" Padmé asked.

Ahsoka's head shot up. The others looked at her. "Very. You know you're going to have to share what actually went down with the twins and your family."

Padmé nodded knowing she was right. After all, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan and Lux were now a part of the Skywalker clan.

* * *

 _So what did you guys think? So, next chapter is the first in the 'Raising Luke and Leia' arc. The twins will be at least a year old and causing havoc. Ahsoka will play a little bit of a role but it won't be huge. I have been thinking about some people's comments about Ahsoka being in the story too much and I can see your points. She is a key player in this story because of the role she plays in Luke and Leia's upbringing but the next few chapters will feature her but not a much as she has been as the story will shift focus from the older generation to the twins._

 _To be continued..._


End file.
